Without A Sound
by XxmsxMichellexangstxX
Summary: Bella's mute, Jacob is her best friend, they hide it from everyone. What happens when Bella gets imprinted on my Jacob's enemy? How will it change Jacob and Bella's friendship? How will it affect her relationships when she moves? Jacob/Bella/Paul AU OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Okay, so I know I've been slacking with 'What Now?' but this idea has been bugging me, and nagging at me all night long until I cant sleep. **

**Summary: Bella can't speak, Jacob is her only friend, The only one who understands her but they have to hide it from everyone. What happens when one day bella meets the love of her life?**

**I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter. Leave a review telling me if I should continue. Please?**

**Without A Sound**

**Chapter One**

"I knew it!" Jacob said to me excitedly. I nodded in agreement. Jacob has been my best friend ever since we met. I love him like a brother and I know he feels the same way about me. Just the way I like it. You see, when we first met, Jacob wanted to go out with me. I let him know right away that I wasn't interested in having shit get awkward with him. I knew we would be friends since the moment I first saw him. I didn't want to fuck it up. I would love to go out with him but I would never risk the friendship. And plus, I don't want him to have to deal with all the rude comments and dirty looks and judgments that go along with associating yourself with me. I'm Bella Swan. I'm seventeen years old living in Forks, Washington. I don't really interact with people. But I have good reasons. I don't speak. No, I _can't_ speak. I haven't been able to my whole life. I'm not deaf, just mute. Honestly I like it better this way. I wouldn't want to talk. But some would say I only think like that because I can't talk. I would say that's bullshit. I mean, what could I say that I couldn't just type or write? I don't feel like I'm being deprived of anything. I like hearing other people's voices to be honest. I could listen to Jacob talk all day long. I didn't bother learning sign because like no one in this stupid fucking town knows it so they wouldn't be able to know what I was saying anyway. So I write or type shit to people. It's easy to me.

_What can I say? You're my best friend. Why would any other moment be better?_

"I don't know. I just always thought it would be something different. Better than meeting me I guess," he said shyly.

_Nope. What's yours? _

Four seconds flat and it still looked good! Personal record!

"Uh, birth? Yeah, birth was definitely the best moment of my life"

_Get real Black. You know it was when you met me! DON'T LIE!!!_

"Yeah you're right but I just didn't want to admit it."

_You are such a guy!_

"I know…"

_What do you want to do now?_

"You wanna go to the beach?"

_It's like 10__° Jacob. Do you expect me to go to the beach on a day like this?_

"No," Jacob said in a defeated tone

I rolled my eyes, stood up, and walked towards the path leading out of the woods. I looked behind me and Jacob was still sitting on the ground just looking at me. I ran over to him, crouched down, grabbed my notebook from his hands, and wrote _Are you coming or not?_ When I showed him the notebook his eyes shone as he jumped up from the ground and picked me up spinning us around before he started running down the path to his car. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of his arms around me. Running through the forest. We got to the car and he drove to the beach. I left my notebook in the car since it was raining. I hated days like these. I couldn't communicate with anyone unless they asked me yes or no questions. Jacob gets me though. We don't really need to talk or rather he doesn't need to talk for us to know what the other is thinking. We're weird like that. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

After a while of walking I was too cold and I could tell he was too. I stopped walking grabbing his hand as he walked by. He turned around and faced me. I just looked up at him and smiled a little bit. He knew I wanted to go back because he picked me up over his shoulder and ran back to his car. Just in case I fell I had a handful of hair in my right hand and grabbed his arm with my left hand.

"It's okay Bella! I'm not gonna drop you." I tugged his hair a little. He knew what I wanted to know by that hair tug.

"Yes Bella, I'm sure."

I let go. He ran faster. I started to slip from his shoulder. My hand instinctively went up to his hair. I tugged twice quickly. He slowed down just like I 'asked' and for that I was thankful. When we got to his car he spun me around playfully and we started dancing around. Once inside his 76 Volkswagen rabbit I grabbed up my notebook and wrote _Thanks Big Bro. That was fun even though I did get my hair wet._ I showed him before he started driving. "No problem B. I love doing things like this with you." I drew a little heart on the paper and he just smiled big and wide when I showed it to him.

He drove us to his house. I was glad because I was cool with everyone on the reservation. I had many friends there and Jacob and I didn't have to pretend like we didn't really know each other or hide from anyone here. We could just be ourselves.

**So what did you think? if you liked it om working on chapter two and it should be out soon. if you didnt im sorry that it wasnt your cup of tea :( please review?**

**Do it for the starving kittens in Boston?**

**Oh, ive been getting questions about me putting that in all my ans for What Now and its because i live near Boston and starving kittens are sad to think about...**

**untill next time lovely readers! **

**Xoxo **

**Michelle**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey lovelies! What's up? Since I got like no reviews, I decided I'll just keep writing till I get actual feed back. If you like it or have suggestions or questions put it in a review or PM me. And for the 'What Now' readers, don't worry I'm not abandoning it. This is just fresh in my brain and I will update 'What Now' soon. Promise.**

**Oh and all I have to say is if you haven't seen Eagle Eye and you want to, skip the part when they watch movies, there's a little spoiler in there. Hope you enjoy the second chapter of Without A Sound. **

**Chapter Two**

When we got to Jacobs house, he told me to take a hot shower and that he would have clothes for me when I got out. I didn't question it. Not like I could. He took away my notebook. It was full anyway. I did what he said and when I stepped out there were black cutoff shorts and a white tank top. I quickly got dressed and stepped outside into the hallway. Jacob's room was empty and surprisingly so was the kitchen. That boy is always hungry. I expected him there. In the living room on the coffee table was a note. It read, _**Come outside. I have something for you.**_

What the hell did he do?

I walked over to the door and there was another note stuck to the door. _**Go out back to the garage.**_

On my way to the back I noticed a new notebook and a pen on the kitchen table. I grabbed them up and ran out to Jacob.

When I got to the garage it was dark because the light wasn't on and it didn't help that it was like pitch black outside too. I felt around on the wall but felt two very familiar hands over my eyes instead. I relaxed almost completely, knowing that protesting would be useless. He chuckled a little and I leaned back into him a bit. I heard a little click and assumed it was him turning on the light. He said, "You can't bitch about this okay?" I reached up and touched his cheek. "So we're clear that you can't be all "It's too much" Blahbidy blah, blah. Correct?" I caressed his hair, letting him know I understand and completely agree with his terms. "Okay." He removed his hands and I almost regretted telling him I wouldn't bitch about it. _Almost_. There were two shiny motorcycles in the garage. A black one and a red one. The black one had a red ribbon that said Bells on it. The notebook and pen dropped to the ground and so did my jaw. I knew he said he was working on something secret but motorcycles? Oh my god! We are gunna have SO much fun!

I picked up the pen and notebook. _Oh_ _my freaking god Jacob! How did you keep this a secret?_

"It wasn't easy"

_Oh my god!_

"You like it?"

_Duh!_

"I was hoping you would," he said picking me up and spinning us around. When he put me down all I could do was look into his eyes. His beautiful almost black eyes and russet skin, silky long black hair, perfect white teeth. He was beautiful. Before I got carried away and kissed him like I wanted to, I wrote, _Are you gunna teach me?_

"Of course"

I smiled big and wide up at him. Then a thought hit me that made me frown.

"What is it?" Jacob asked with worry in his tone.

_Charlie would kill me if he ever found out_

"He won't find out Bells"

_How do you know? Our fathers gossip like two old ladies. Charlie is most likely going to find out_

"My dad won't say anything. I asked him not to and you know my dad, he'd do anything to see a smile on your face. We're safe. I promise."

_When do we start?_

"Next weekend"

_It's Tuesday though. Why do we have to wait so long?_

"Because we still have to be inconspicuous. And plus, if we have two full days I can have you riding like a pro by Monday! And I still have to Bella-proof yours." I rolled my eyes

_Ok. Until then what do you want to do?_

"We could hang with Quil and Embry."

_Let's go_

We met up with Quil and Embry at Quil's house. Embry was already there so when we got there we all went up to Quil's room and watched a movie. Eagle Eye. I cried at the end when Shia LaBeouf got shot. Jacob and Quil laughed at me but Embry kept whispering to me how it was all okay, he didn't really die. When it was over we went downstairs to eat something. I made my 'Cabinet Burgers' there wasn't much to it. Just hamburger and a bunch of spices that you just hope taste good together.

Apparently they were good since Jacob had six and Quil and Embry had five. I only had one. I felt full after just the one. I'll never understand how they can eat so much. It must be a teenage boy thing…

After they ate, we went out to the porch and just sat there listening to music through Quil's laptop. We all took turns choosing songs. When I had to pick I typed in 'Daddy's Comin' Home'. The only thing that popped up was 'Daddy's Home' by Usher. That's not what I was looking for so I typed in 'Daddy's Comin' Home – D-Pryde ft. August Rigo'. I clicked on the link and the song started playing. I played this song so much that Quil Embry and Jacob all knew every word of this song. They really did hate this song. All but Jacob. He liked it. Just not excessively.

"Why is this the only song you ever listen to?" Quil asked.

I grabbed my notebook up from the floor and wrote, _I don't know. I just like it…_

When it ended Quil said, "Please when you pick next please, please, please don't play that freaking song again."

_Fine. But I'm not guaranteeing that you'll like it._

"Whatever. As long as it's not that song again I'm fine"

_We'll see_

Quil is one of my best friends. So is Embry. They don't care that I can't talk, that they have to read my words from paper rather than my lips. But Jacob? Jacob is the best friend out of all my best friends.

He's the truest and most down-to-earth. I love him the most. I think he's got about 70% of all my love. Even though it started out as brotherly love, slowly it's been... more. And that scares the shit out of me.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacob asked me. Shit! What do I say?

_Nothing_

"Bullshit Bella. You know you can't lie to me."

_Later okay?_

"Fine"

I put on another song. Quil and Embry groaned when they saw that it was a 2Pac song. I told Quil he wouldn't like it. Jacob didnt care. I picked 2Pac because I knew Jacob liked him and one song was stuck in my head and dying to be heard by our little clique. I typed in Unconditional Love - 2Pac. I felt like it was perfect to listen to since I was surrounded by my three best friends. My only friends. My love for them is unconditional and so is their love for me.

Paul, Quil's older brother, pulled up. I kind of hated Paul. He hates Jacob and anyone who has a problem with Jake is not cool with me. That's one reason I don't get along with my mother so much anymore. She thinks that he's not a good influence because of his friends and the area where he lives and she worries that he tries to take advantage of me because he's a teenage boy with "raging hormones" blah, blah, blah, I can't 'tell' him no, blah, blah, blah. That's a bunch of bullshit. Jake would never do anything to make me uncomfortable.

"Sup bitches?" Paul said. If I could I'd curse him out. It was only the sixth time in my entire life that I wished I could speak. "Yo!" Paul said to me. "Chill the fuck out. I'll play nice with Jakey. Promise." That pissed me off even more. No one calls Jacob 'Jakey' but me. I picked up my notebook.

_No one calls Jacob 'Jakey' but me. You got that?_

I ripped out the page, crumpled it up, and threw it at Paul.

"Chill lil' mami. I'm not here to cause problems."

_Good_

I threw the page at him again.

"Why are you so possessive lil' mami?"

_I'm not! And_ _don't call me lil' mami._

This time I aimed at his head.

"Yeah you are lil' mami." He was getting pissed too I could tell.

_Fuck you!_

That set him off. He started walking towards me trying to be intimidating. It didn't work. I stood up and walked right up to him, getting as close as I could. I pushed him and the little bitch was actually intimidated by me. 6'7 Paul intimidated by a 5'4 little girl. "What the fuck? Why are you such a bitch? And can't you find someone better to be possessive over? I mean, come on! Jakey is nothing compared to some people you could control." I was about to punch him in his pretty little face. No one is better than Jake. He's all I know. Who the fuck is Paul to say anything different? Jacob picked me up, lifting me out of my shoes and getting me away from him before I could punch him. He turned me so I was facing him and not Paul. It was probably for the best.

"Don't say shit like that to her!" Jacob said. He was pissed more than I was. I could hear it in his voice. A talent that only a gifted few possessed was being able to tell when Jake was pissed. He sounded normal to the untrained ear, but since I spend like all my time with him and I know pretty much everything about the kid I could tell. His voice got a little deeper and a little slower than normal and his grip on me was tighter, protective, which wasn't really a bad thing. I kind of liked it.

"You and your bitch over there can kiss my ass! I'll do and say whatever I want!" I grabbed Jacob's arm so he would let go. He didn't. I was pissed and relieved at the same time at that. At least he didn't want me to get hurt.

"Don't call her that" he said getting defensive.

"Why? Why are you always doing that?"

I wished I could see what the fuck was going on!

"What are you talking about?" Jacob snapped.

"The way you always defend her and shit. Like she can't fight her own damn battles or something. God, you're fucking possessive too! I mean look at you, holding her back like she could _actually_ cause anyone harm!"

"Fuck you!" Jacob said as I thought the exact same words. But the more I thought about it, the more I wished Jacob didn't feel like he had to fight all my battles for me. I mean it's pretty shitty that he has too. But I never ask him too so it's not like I feel bad that he does, just that I wish_ I_ could. That he didn't feel obligated to do it.

I could hear Paul's footsteps getting closer and angrier with each step. Jacob let me go, pushing me away from him. The last thing I remember before I blacked out was seeing Paul punch Jacob in the face.

***

I woke up in Jacob's bed, a pen and notebook in my hand. Jacob was holding me. My face was throbbing and so were my knuckles. I looked down at them and they were fucking purple and scratched. They weren't bleeding but i could tell they had been at some point. I tensed when Jacob stirred. I didn't know why but I did. "You awake?" Jacob asked. His voice thick with sleep.

_What happened? Why are my knuckles bruised? And why does my face hurt? _I "asked" not looking up at him, not wanting him to let go.

"You don't remember it?" he asked disbelieving.

_If I did, would I be asking? What happened?_

"What do you remember?"

_The last thing I remember seeing was Paul punching you in the face_

"Yeah, you kind of went ballistic after that. You went at Paul, got him good in the face. You actually gave him a black eye." He said, awe coloring his tone. "Unfortunately, Paul hit you back. That's why your face hurts. He knocked you out. He put a lot of force into it. But I know you can handle it." He said, that slight change in his voice that indicated Jacob's anger was _definitely_ there in his tone. He was right when he said I could handle it though.

_Are you okay though?_

"Of course I am hon. Of course I am."

_He didn't leave any marks on that pretty little face of yours, did he?_ At this Jacob laughed long and loud and it truly meant that everything was okay. He was okay. I was okay. We were still in one piece, still safe from the world as long as we had each other.

_Where is my phone?_

"I already told Charlie that you were sleeping over. He said you could stay as long as you want."

_Okay. What time is it?_

"About one in the morning." Jacob said, followed by a big ass yawn.

_Night Jacob_

"Night Bella"

He turned the light off and held me a little closer. I drifted off quickly after that.

**So? What did you think? I figured I'd incorporate a little piece of the movie in the Paul bit but at the same time a little bit of the book with a little spin. I hope you liked it. If not I'm sorry. Please review.**

**Do it for the starving kittens in Boston?**

**Think of the kittens.**

**Oh, and if you haven't heard of those songs, go listen to them. They are AMAZING! In future chapters I'll put songs that go with and/or inspire parts of, or whole chapters. I'll do this with "What Now" as well.**

**Love you guys to pieces!**

**Xoxo**

**Michelle**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Twilight.**

**The beginning of this chapter is kinda… blah. But don't worry towards the middle it gets better. Oh, and I will update "What Now" in just a few more days so look out for that! Here's chapter three everyone!**

**Without A Sound Chapter Three**

"Wake up Bella" I heard Jacob say. He sounded a little scared. I opened my eyes and closed them again almost immediately because I was practically blinded by the light. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head yes and looked at him expectantly. "You were shaking and shit. I was just making sure you were okay." Because I wasn't fully awake yet, I kissed him and nuzzled back into his chest. I fell asleep in seconds, before I could really think about what I had just done. I dreamt about it though.

At eight o'clock I woke with a start. It woke up Jacob too. I was breathing heavily due to the freaking amazing dream I just had. It really made shit clear to me. I mean I always knew I loved Jake but I've convinced myself that I love him only as a brother. Lately I've wanted Jacob to be less like a brother. I don't know what to do. Jake has a girlfriend. It kind of sucks. She's the jealous type too.

Leah Clearwater hates me. She hates me because of how close Jake and I are, way closer than she could ever be with him. "What are you thinking about? And do you want to talk about that dream you just had?" I shook my head no and got up to make breakfast. "Where are you going?"

When I was off the bed, I looked over at him. I touched his stomach and turned to go to the kitchen. "I want pancakes!" He is such a little kid sometimes.

I made him pancakes, waffles, bacon sausage, eggs, toast, and fresh squeezed orange juice. While I was making all this food Jacob was in the shower. He stepped out in black cutoff shorts and a white tee. Oddly enough he had sunglasses on. I didn't know why but I didn't question it. When I saw him I smiled a little. We matched. "What?" he asked. I looked down at my outfit and then his. He still didn't get it. I made sure the pancakes weren't in danger of burning and then walked over to Jacob. I stood beside him, pointed to my white tank top, then his white tee, and then I pointed to my black shorts then his. "Oh, I get it now" he chuckled a little. I went back to the pancakes. Jacob reached for one while I plated everything. I slapped his hand away. I went to the fridge, grabbed strawberries, blueberries, walked over to the counter and got a few bananas. I cut them up and put them on the pancakes and waffles.

"Can I have some_ now_?" Jacob whined from behind me. I nodded my head yes and Jacob grabbed the plate with less food on it like a dumbass. Did he honestly think I would give him a normal amount of food? As if. That kid could eat an entire cow and that would only be a snack. I sat down next to him at the table and took the plate from him. "What are you doing?!?" I went to the counter and got his plate which was practically overflowing with food.

"Oh"

I shook my head and started on the muffins.

When I sat down to eat, Jake still had on those sunglasses. I reached over and took them off. They fell to the ground when I saw his face.

***

"It's okay Bella!"

I shook my head no.

"Really, it's not that bad"

I looked at him. It was look that told him I thought he was full of shit.

"Don't do anything rash Bella"

I covered his mouth with my hand. This was only the second time ever that I just wanted Jacob to shut up. He took my hand away but still held it in his. I yanked it away and ran for the front door. It was the only thing I had on Jake. I was faster. Quil's house was only like two minutes away if I can as fast as I could. "Bella!" I heard Jake yell. About thirty seconds went by and I didn't hear anything from him. I looked behind me and saw that Jake wasn't even behind me anymore. Shit! He went to get his car! I let my feet push me as fast as possible. When I got to Quil's Paul was sitting on the porch._ Perfect_, I thought

"Hi" he said like nothing happened. Like he didn't do _anything. _I walked up to him and smiled politely, sweetly, like I wasn't planning on killing him. Which I was. He got up and walked over to me. He wasn't being intimidating or anything but I still got scared. "Did you need something?" he asked, voice low and slow and…. Oh my god! I'm here to kick his ass. What the fuck is happening? I nodded my head yes but it wasn't angry or intimidating or even fierce like I wanted. It was kind of weak._ I_ was kind of weak. I couldn't help it though. He was just staring at me with his amazing almost back eyes which were kinda…. And I was just staring back at him losing everything I came here with. "What?" I opened my mouth but closed it again. He put his hands on my hips and pulled me closer to him. I didn't know why, but I almost lost control. My eyes fluttered closed and I felt his hot breath on my face.

That's when I heard Jacob's car. I eyes shot open and I turned my head to see Jacob getting out of his car. Paul removed his hands and stepped away from me. "I guess I'll see you again sometime." He said with a smirk. I nodded weakly and walked over to Jake.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I shook my head. He let out a sigh of relief. "What were you thinking, just coming over here by yourself to pick a fight with him?" I shrugged my shoulders and got in the car. Jacob got in and asked, "Were you really going to do anything, because you seemed pretty calm." I just looked back at him like, 'do you really think I wouldn't do anything?' He didn't say anything the rest of the way home. But I did in a way. I caressed his hair, brushed his cheek with the back of my fingers. It let him know everything was fine.

When we got back to Jakes house I put ice in a dishtowel and gave it to him for his eye. "Its okay, I don't need that"

_It will help the swelling Jake._

"I don't care. I'm fine Bella, really," he snapped at me.

_What the hell is your problem?_

"Nothing!" Jake yelled at me.

I walked to my house with tears crowding my face the whole way back. Charlie wasn't home yet. Thank you Jesus, I thought. I got upstairs and changed into pajamas. I heard a knock on the door and didn't feel like getting it. Even if it was Jake. I'll let him figure his shit out before I go back. I heard the knock again. I ignored it some more. Then the phone rang. I had to get it. What if it was dad?

I picked up the phone. I sighed heavily. "Bella?" someone asked. I wasn't sure who it was but I had a feeling that they were the one knocking so I hung up and walked over to the door.

I tried to wipe away all my tears before I opened the door but new tears pushed their way to the surface immediately. I stopped trying and just opened the door. I didn't know who I expected but I definitely didn't expect Paul. I just stared at him, dumbfounded. "Why are you crying?" he asked worried. I shook my head and wiped my face again. "There's gotta be a reason," he said calmly, soothingly. I held a finger up and ran back in side. I grabbed a notebook and a pen and went back out to Paul. He was sitting on one of the chairs on the porch. I sat in a chair across from him. I didn't look up at him though. I couldn't.

When he noticed I had a notebook and asked, "So, why are you crying?"

_It's not important._

"Okay" I knew he didn't believe it but he didn't press the issue. "Why did you come to my house today?"

_It doesn't matter because I couldn't do it anyway._

"Couldn't do what?"

_Kick your ass…_

"Why would you wanna do that?"

_You hurt Jake._

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't thinking and… god, I don't know."

_Don't be sorry._

"Why? Did you and Jake break up or something?"

_Ew. I never went out with Jacob. He's my ________best __friend. _

"I have a question." I just looked at my shoes, waiting for him to continue. "Why didn't you fight me today when you came over like you wanted to?"

_I couldnt._

"Why?"

_I_ _don't know. I couldn't I guess. And I was thinking about what you said yesterday and you were right. So, I dropped it, let go._

"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn't mean it like that." He said sadly. I almost looked up but, I couldn't. I'm glad he said what he said though.

_I'm glad you said what you did._

There was a three minute silence. I know because I was counting the seconds. Three minutes of absolutely nothing happening went by before Jacob showed up.

"I guess I should go."

_Why?_

"I don't want to cause more problems with Jacob."

_You gunna let Jacob rule your life Paul?_

I might be crazy but I swear I heard him whisper, "I'd rather let you rule my life"

I looked up at him just as I heard my name being called out by Jacob. "Bella!" I turned my head to look at him.

**So? What did you think? Didn't expect anything in chapter three did ya? Well, maybe Jake's appetite but other than that...**

**Please review**

**Think of the starving kittens in Boston.**

**Do it for them.**

**Love you guys! **

**Xoxo**

**Michelle**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okie dokie readers, I've decided that since I'm on spring break, I'll give you a super long chapter. And when I say super long, I mean **_**SUPER LONG**_**, this chapter – not including the A/Ns – is almost 7,000 words. I've been having trouble with my internet connection, so I haven't been able to update. Because of that I kind of just… stopped writing it for like, almost three weeks. But I started writing it again because honestly, I wanted to see if I still had the motivation to continue it. This chapter isn't rushed and I tried my best not to make any grammatical errors. Seriously, I went back like three times and tried to fix everything. Sorry if there are still a lot left. I'm gonna try to do that with the rest of this story and "What Now?" as well. Have as little errors as possible, I mean.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this and where the characters are left by the end.**

**So, without further ado, Chapter Four**

Jacob ran up the stairs like he didn't see Paul sitting there and grabbed me up in a hug. "I'm so sorry Bella. Forgive me?" I nodded my head yes and grabbed him by the hand, leading him back into the kitchen. I ran outside to see Paul getting in his car. I ran down the driveway to stop him. I grabbed him by the arm and led him into the kitchen as well.

"What are you _doing_?" Jacob asked me when he saw that I was inviting Paul in. I gave him that stern 'stop being so damn rude' look that mothers give their bratty children.

"Well _sorr-ry_ for being curious _Mom_"

_What do you want for dinner?_

I went upstairs to change into cute black short shorts and a little pale pink tank top. I loved the rare days like this, when the sun was out and it was warm outside. I flew down the stairs and saw that Paul and Jacob were in the middle of a serious looking stare down. It was like they didn't even notice that I was there. I figured it didn't matter what they wanted to eat and started making lasagna.

A full two and a half hours later it was finally done and hopefully food would break the tension in this room. I took the two pans out of the oven and cut a piece for Mom and Dad. Then I cut out a freaking huge piece for Jacob. I knew he loved Bella's Beautiful Lasagna. Jacob came up with the name because it really was pretty lasagna and even though it tasted really good it took me a good ten minutes to take the first bite. I cut Paul and equally large piece and put the plates out on the porch. I cut a small piece for me and put it out on the porch as well. At this point I was amazed that Jacob hadn't snapped put of it with the sight and smell of food swirling around the kitchen.

I had enough. I sat really close to Jacob and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. The anger instantly drained from his face. "Sorry." He whispered. I nodded and kissed him on the forehead. I gave him a pointed look. A look that clearly said, _don't be an asshole_. He nodded. It was like suddenly he smelled the food. "You made BBL?" he asked. I nodded with a big smile now that _my_ Jacob was back.

I texted Quil and Embry, hoping that if there were more people around nothing would happen. I didn't need word spreading around town that two boys were fighting on my front porch.

**To Quil:  
****U hungry?  
****From Bella**

**To Embry:  
****U want something to eat?  
****From Bel****la**

**To Bella:  
****Yeah. What are you making?  
****From Embry**

**To Bella:  
****Depends…  
****From Quil**

**To Quil:  
****You are such a liar. I know you're on your way right now. I made BBL btw.  
****From Bella**

**To Embry:  
****BBL. When will you be here?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****Really? You made BBL and didn't tell me before you put it in the oven?  
****From Quil**

**To Bella:  
****Fifteen minutes. Quil is picking me up.  
****From Embry**

**To Quil:  
****Sorry. I kinda need you to break the tension anyway.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****What do you mean?  
****From Quil**

**To Quil:  
****Jacobs here…  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****And….? Aren't you like best friends or something?  
****Why would you need me to break tension between you two?  
****From Quil**

**To Quil:  
****Not between me and Jake. Didn't Paul tell you he was coming over here?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****No. He didn't tell me. Why is Paul there?  
****From Quil**

**To Quil:  
****I don't know.  
****He came over and before he could tell me why he was here, Jacob came.  
****It's been real tense for the past two hours.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****Does Paul seem really calm?  
****From Quil**

**To Quil:  
****Yeah…  
****From Bella**

**To Bella:  
****Get Them away from each other. Like now!! I'll be there in ten.  
****From Quil**

I was in the kitchen this whole time texting Quil and Embry so I went out to the porch. I was surprised by what I saw. Jacob hadn't even touched his food. That scared me. And again they were in a stare down. What was up with these two? I ran inside and got a notebook. When I got back outside I took Jacobs keys so he couldn't leave.

_Quil and Embry are on their way. Please don't leave. I'm just gunna talk to Paul. Okay?_

"Why?" Jacob sneered.

_To keep the goddanm peace! Come inside and get me when Quil and Embry get here._

Jake read the note and nodded his head. I took Paul's hand and led him inside. I didn't look at him until we sat down on the couch. I was afraid that he'd still be mad. When I looked up at him he was still angry, but as soon as he saw me his anger faded. "Sorry"

_It's okay. Jacob sometimes has that affect on people._

Paul laughed loudly at this and I smiled widely.

"Why did you bring me in here?"

_Uh, I wanted to know why you came here_…

I was totally bluffing but he bought it, so does it really matter that I kind of lied? No.

"Oh, it was to apologize for what I did to you."

_It's okay, we got caught up in the moment and honestly I don't even remember much of what happened yesterday so you're off the hook. _

I smiled up at him to let him know I was being sincere. He looked a little embarrassed. "That's not what I was talking about, Bella," he said, looking at me intensely.

_Don't be sorry. I don't want you to be sorry about that._

He seemed a little shocked and interested by my answer. I didn't know why though. It's not like I was offended or anything. I kind of liked it. I wouldn't mind if it happened again…. "Why not?"

I simply shrugged and looked down because I didn't know how he would react if he knew _how much_ I liked it.

He leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear, "That's not really an answer." I shivered.

_I'm not. So you shouldn't be either._

"Why aren't you?"

_I'm just not. I can't explain why. Why do you want me to be sorry? Do you regret doing that or something?_

"No, I don't regret anything but…" At this point I looked up at him. I didn't know why, but I did. He looked down at me intensely and… Jacob walked in.

"Quil and–What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Jacob nearly screeched.

Paul quickly straightened up and leaned away from me. I did the same. I didn't realize how close we had been until that. "Nothing!" Paul said to Jacob.

"Yeah, uh-huh" Jacob didn't believe him, but then again, who would if they walked to us looking like _that_? I mean, it probably looked like we were gonna...

I got up and ran out to Quil and Embry. I smiled at them and gave them each a hug. Then I dragged Quil by his arm into the living room. I didn't even look up, just left him there and went to the kitchen to get Quil and Embry food.

I brought out the two plates to where Embry was sitting on the porch.

"Thanks Bella," Embry said, practically inhaling the damn lasagna.

I knew what I had to do now. I opened the front door and was surprised when I saw Paul and Jacob shaking hands, Quil standing smugly watching the exchange. I smiled a little. Jake looked at me and quickly ran over to pick me up and carry me outside. I smiled big and wide now that Jake, _my Jake_ really was back.

Twenty minutes later there was no lasagna left, we were all full, and were all laughing, having a good time. Embry was sitting next to Paul, who was sitting across from Quil, who was sitting next to me, half asleep in Jacob's lap. His voice was so soothing and I was full! He just kept talking and talking like he knew my weakness. Before I knew it I was asleep. I woke up being lifted into Jacob's car. I wondered why for a second but then realized that he was taking me back to his place.

"You okay?"

I nodded my head yes and shut my eyes again. "That's right hon. Go to sleep."

I didn't wake up until seven in the morning. I got a full twelve hours of sleep and it was divine. Jacob's alarm woke me. Jacob squeezed me a little before he let go and stretched to turn the alarm clock off. After the obnoxiously loud screeching stopped, I pulled Jake back to me and nuzzled in his chest again.

"You gotta get up sweetie. We have school," he said sleepily. I shook my head no. We didn't go to school yesterday, why couldn't we just skip one more day? Like he could actually read my mind he said, "We can't miss another day of school Bella. I know it doesn't seem like much now, but missing two days in a row just because we were tired is kind of a lot."

I huffed about it but eventually lifted myself of off him and got in the shower. I knew Jacob would put clothes out for me. I laughed when I saw that he laid out last year's Halloween costume. Pale pink skinny jeans, a light grey tank-top, a grey and pink striped sweatshirt, and a pink studded belt waited on the sink for me when I got out of the shower. A good thing about leaving clothes here was that when I slept over on school nights I didn't have to go to school the next day in Jacob's clothes. But i guess all the clothes that I've left here are dirty. I can't think of any other explanation for this.

***

"Come on Bella! We gotta be at school in twenty five minutes!" Jacob yelled from the other side of the door. He was getting stressed over nothing. We could be to school in fifteen minutes. Before I stepped out I prayed a silent prayer that he would like it. If Jacob liked how I looked then I know I looked good, if not amazing. I did my hair different today and I finally used the makeup that Renée bought me. I figured that since she shoves it in my bag no matter where I go and some of it was hot pink anyway I should go for it. Why not try it out? If it looks bad I can just wipe it off. I opened the door and stepped out. Jacob was speechless, dumbfounded even, just staring like he couldn't even remember that staring was RUDE!

_Is it that bad? I can go change… I can wipe this junk off my face…_

"No! You look beautiful Bella! I just… wow. Who are you trying to impress Bells?"

_No one…_

"You sure, cuz you've never worn makeup before – especially _pink and black_ makeup, Bells. And you've never done your hair like that either." I nodded and smiled at him. "I see why you needed so much extra time in the bathroom now. I mean, your hair is pretty elaborate. And when did you learn how to put on makeup?" I shrugged and walked towards the car. My hair isn't that elaborate. It's just in a high ponytail – my bangs swept to the side – with like twenty small braids placed randomly. … Okay it _is_ kind of elaborate – _for me_ – but still, for _normal_ _girls_ it's not that elaborate.

Once we were about five minutes away from the school I got out of the car and walked the rest of the way. Jacob hated that I did that, but I had to. He hates that we hide from everyone. But it's for the best. He knows that if I didn't truly think so, I wouldn't insist on doing it. We didn't have any classes together but we saw each other in the hallway every passing period and we had lunch together, which we spent in different sections of the school library, texting each other.

With every period I felt more and more uncomfortable. People were talking to me, girls – _people_ – were being nice to me, and a few boys were even _flirting_ with me. It was all very, very strange to me. I just smiled politely and wrote them nice notes, but on the inside I wondered why it was only like this now and not any other time. Then one person just made me smile. Jessica Stanley. During fourth period Spanish she straight up asked me who I was trying to seduce. I laughed so hard I was crying when I wrote back to her that I wasn't. When it was lunch hour I got down to the library and when I saw Jake walk in, I texted him.

**To Jacob  
****Hey. I see you! lol  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Hey. I see you too! lol  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****I'm definitely NEVER dressing like this ever again.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Why? You look good. Hot even.  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Too much attention  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Yeah, attention isnt really your thing, is it?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Hell no it's not.  
****It's so weird, today, everyone seems to be talking to me and acting like I'm a normal kid.  
****I'm not used to it from so many people ya know?  
****From Bella  
**

**To Bella  
****You ARE a normal kid  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Yeah, except for that one HUGE little thing  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Stop thinking like that. It's not a huge thing.  
****People are just assholes to anyone who's a little different.  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Don't you get it? I don't want to be different.  
****I don't want to be the center of every joke at this stupid school.  
****I hate how different I am from everyone else Jake. I really do.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Listen, can we talk about this later?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Why?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****I have tons of homework to do.  
****There's only forty minutes left of lunch, and I don't want to have to do it ALL tonight.  
****From Jacob **

**To Jacob  
****Yeah. I have a lot of homework too.  
****So I'll see you after school at the usual place? Right?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Of course. Don't worry, I'll be there  
****From Jacob**

Lunch was so boring. I was had been doing my trig homework for about half an hour when I heard the chair across the table being pulled out. I looked up and there was Paul. Looking like an Abercrombie model. I fished out the extra notebook from my bag, and went to writing the note because I couldn't look at him anymore.

_Hey. What's up?_

I slid my extra notebook across the table to him and continued with my trig homework.

"Nothing. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why are you like, extra cute today?" I was more than a little surprised by his question. I wasn't aware that I was ever cute.

_I wasn't aware that I was ever cute, Paul._

"Well you are. All the time. Why did you go all out today? Are you like, trying to impress someone?"

_Nope. You are like the tenth person to ask me that, by the way. I had some extra time this morning so I figured "Why not?" and just 'went all out' I guess._

A few minutes went by and he didn't say anything, but I was working on the last question on my homework, so I didn't really notice. It was very tricky, you see. He leaned over the table and lifted my chin so that I would look at him. "Will you…"

The bell rang and Jacob was already at the table. They exchanged cold glares and I tried to ignore it.

I practically ran to biology.

I was only twenty seconds late but Mr. Banner still insisted that I come after school to serve a thirty minute detention. I didn't argue it, just sat down in my seat. When I was seated and I was sure that Mr. Banner wasn't looking, I texted Jacob, to let him know I had detention.

**To Jacob  
****I have detention for thirty minutes with Mr. Banner after school  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****For what?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****I was late to class  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****How late were you?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Only like, twenty seconds.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****It's so stupid that teachers can do that. It's not like you were twenty minutes late.  
****If that were the case, I could understand the thirty minute detention.  
****But a thirty minute detention for being only twenty seconds late to class is ridiculous.  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****I know, but I can't do anything about it.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Yeah, I know  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Are you gonna leave after school?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****No. I'll still be waiting for you when you come out.  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Ok, thanks.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****No problem  
****From Jacob**

I heard, "Word around school is that you look extra good today to impress me," being whispered in my ear by none other than _The Edward Cullen._ His voice is disgusting. It makes me want to gag. I don't know why all the girls swoon over _Edward Cullen's voice_. As a matter of fact, I don't know what everyone sees in him _at all_.

All the girls pine over him and all the guys want to be his friend. I know what it is about him that makes people either want him or _want to be_ him, though I just don't understand why or how they all get sucked in. I mean, I get it, I do, people are shallow, but I don't understand how he got to the top of the food chain. The girls_ say_ they want him for his "charm" and "confidence". When really, it's his green eyes and bronze hair, his swimmer's body, strong jaw, musical talent, and not surprisingly, the stories that the "lucky ones" tell everyone about how much of a gentleman he is until they get in the bedroom.

Well, just gag me with a spoon. No, really. I'd rather have a spoon being jammed down my throat, then to have to listen to girls gab about Edward Cullen in bed.

Sadly, the guys that go here, are just as shallow as the girls. They want to be his friend because they either want to climb the social latter or they want to be like him. He's a player, he's attractive to most, he gets the girls that most guys are too scared to even talk to, he's popular, a football player. In other words, he's everything that insecure adolescent males look up to, want to be one day. All I see when I look at _The Edward Cullen_ is an uptight, egotistical, obnoxious, self-righteous, arrogant, two-timing, asshole.

Everyone thinks of him, sees him as "The Man", some kind of hero. But me? I've seen his malicious side. He's no hero to me. To me, he's the bad guy. Someone to be avoided at all costs. And that's exactly what I do. I avoid him. I do my best to ignore him. I don't let him see how weak I really am and I pray that he'll find a new victim soon, even though it's very unlikely that he will. Pray that he'll just leave me alone. Remember that Karma's a bitch, every time he does something horrible to me.

I shook my head no and tried to focus on what Mr. Banner was talking about.

I would never do anything for the purpose of impressing Edward Cullen. This is the same Edward Cullen, who in sixth grade punched Jacob, _my Jacob_, in the face for walking too close to him. Coincidentally, they're known to be "best friends" now. The same Edward Cullen, who in seventh grade burned up the few notes I started saving to put in a memory book and said, "That was fun. Tell me when you have more," and walked away. The same boy, who has made fun of me, tormented me because of my inability to speak since kindergarten. I wouldn't do anything to impress him if my life depended on it.

He pulls my hair whenever he gets the chance, has ever since the second grade. He tripped me the first day of freshman year and made me fall face-first in a giant puddle because it would be funny. I had to walk around for forty minutes in wet, muddy clothes. Jacob had to go to his place and bring me back some of his clothes to ware. People still laugh at me for those stupid, embarrassing, first forty minutes of freshman year. We're Juniors now. He stole my lunch money everyday for a good two months in the fifth grade. I never told anyone, it would have showed him just how weak I was, how much it bothered me. He poured my milk over my head in seventh grade, made me lock myself in the bathroom to cry for the rest of that day. By the time I got home, it took two bottles of shampoo and almost three hours to get it all out. He pelted me with water balloons with his friends on the football team because they were "bored" and I was "an easy target". I got a really bad cold. He put a "Kick Me" sign on my back almost everyday in ninth grade. I got kicked like seven hundred times freshman year. Oh, let's not forget the latest in Bella torment at the hands of Edward Cullen. There were flyers handed out to pretty much everyone in our school – myself included – with a picture of me and… well, long story short, people now know me as No Word Wendy. There are so many other instances, but I don't want to think about any of that right now.

He's The _Bane_ Of My Existence.

Why would I do anything to impress him? I HATE him.

"Are you sure hon, because I think you _are_ trying to impress me."

_That's because you have an ego the size of China. I would __**never **__try to impress you. Let's get that straight right now._

"I think you are. That's why you ignore me and don't look at me." He was right that I ignored him, that I didn't look up at him, but I did that because every time I see his face I want to punch him, not because I was trying to get him to notice me.

_Well I think that you might be on crack. I ignore you because you piss me off._

"I don't think so, hon."

_Think what you want, but if you call me "hon" one more time, you won't be able to have kids._

"Are you threatening me?"

_I know you're not that smart, but I think that even you can figure it out._

"Why are you being so hostile?"

_I'm not being hostile. It's called; I'm done dealing with you. I'm sick and tired of you._

"Why? For what?"

_You have __got__ to be kidding me. Right?_

"No."

_You're an asshole. You got __the whole school__ to call me No Word Wendy. Just last week you and your friends threw water balloons at me. I only just got over the cold I got because of that, by the way. You always trip me in the hallways, you pull my hair, you say the most disgusting _

"Stop writing. I don't like all of these things you're accusing me of."

_What the fuck? __You__ asked. Don't get pissy because you don't like what I'm telling you._

"Well, technically, you can't _tell_ me anything."

Thank Christ the bell rang just then. I was the first one up from my seat and out the door. I ran – literally ran – to gym.

Gym is one of my least favorite classes but its better that being forced to endure an hour with Edward Cullen bothering you when you're trying to learn.

"Webber!" Coach Clapp yelled. "You're team a captain. Newton, you are the other team captain. Webber, you go first."

Of course I was picked last. And of course Vile Mike Newton complained when I was forced upon his team. Seriously? It's just high school gym class! We are not playing real baseball. Honestly, when I somehow managed to hit him in the head with the ball I was kind of amused. He deserved it.

As I finally got to second base, the bell rang and Coach Clapp yelled, "Alright, go change."

I walked into the locker room, got my backpack from my locker, took off my sweatpants, and walked out into the parking lot. That's what I loved about gym. I didn't really have to change. I just slipped on sweatpants over my jeans and I was good to go. And since I had it at the end of the day, I didn't have to bring an extra shirt, I could keep the same one on and just take a shower at home if I needed it, which I rarely ever did.

I went up to the Biology classroom where Mr. Banner was waiting.

"Hello Bella," he said politely. I smiled at him and sat in my seat. I grabbed my bag and got out my homework. Mr. Banner didn't say anything so I just continued to do it for the half an hour. I finished all of it three minutes before I could leave so I just put it all back in my bag and watched the clock for one hundred and eighty six seconds. A _long_ one hundred and eighty six seconds.

"You can leave now."

I walked outside to the edge of the woods where he was supposed to be waiting, where he was _always_ waiting, where he _said_ he would be. He wasn't there, which was strange, but I waited for him. I've _never_ had to wait for him before. But I did, I waited for ten minutes for him. In the pouring rain.

**To Jacob  
****Where are you? I've been waiting here for like ten minutes Jacob!  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Sorry. I'm not coming to get you hon. I left early with Leah.  
****Pre v-day thing. I totally forgot to tell you I left. I'm sorry.  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****That doesn't get me home now does it?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Do you want me to leave and come get you?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****No I'm already completely soaking wet anyway. Might as well walk!  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Sorry. I really am  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Save it  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Are you mad at me?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Enjoy your night with Leah. Stop worrying about me.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Are you sure you're alright?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Stop texting me. You know Leah's probably already pissed that your texting me.  
****I'll see you tomorrow.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****You're not sleeping over again tonight?  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****What is the point if you're not gunna be there?  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****I can pick you up later tonight  
****From Jacob**

**To Jacob  
****Fine. Enjoy your night with her  
****From Bella**

I started my walk home. My house was like two miles away. I let my hair down and ran my fingers through so that the braids would come out. I had been walking for like ten minutes when I heard, "Do you need a ride?" I looked over and saw Paul leaning over to actually open the door so that I would get in. I just looked at him, dumbfounded. "Get in," he said with a smirk, his perfectly pink lips curing up on one side. I hopped in and he asked me, "You're going to your house right?" I shook my head no and started to open my bag when he asked, "Jacob's house?" I nodded and he forced a smile. We got there, I went to the door and knocked three times, waited a few seconds, and when no one answered, I looked for the key under the mat but it wasn't there. I turned to start my walk back home but Paul was still there.

"What, no one home?" I shook my head no. "Want me to take you home?" I nodded my head yes and the car started. I looked out the window as he drove. I watched as the trees and houses and the city flew by in a wonderful green and blue blur. "Hey, we're here." I didn't realize we had stopped until he pointed it out. The blur that I was seeing suddenly stilled and I saw my house. I looked over to Paul, telling him thank you with a little smile. He smiled back and told me, "Have a nice evening." I opened the door and hopped out.

I walked up the stairs, crossed the porch, looked under the mat for our spare key, and found money instead.

Why isn't the key there? I left it there yesterday when I came home from Jacob's. I don't know why it isn't there. Or maybe I didn't leave it there at all. I thought I did. But I thought that when I left for Jacob's I put it back under the mat. I don't remember taking it.

I looked up and saw a note on the door.

Well maybe the note will explain something…

**Bella  
****Your father and I are going out of town and needed to take the spare key. Stay at Jacob's place until we get back. Sorry that it's such short notice. I know you have things inside that you probably need but we left you 200 dollars so that you can replace it for the time being. Love you sweetie  
**–**Mom**

Well fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

**To Renée  
****What the hell am I supposed to do now? Jacob is with Leah. I don't know when they'll be back.  
****Billy isn't home. He hasn't been since Tuesday. You could have at least texted me.  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****Sorry sweetie.  
****From Renée**

**To Renée  
****That doesn't help me get out of the rain!  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****What do you want me to do about that?  
****From Renée**

**To Renée  
****I want you to think about me before you do stuff like this!  
****What the hell am I gunna do now? Die of hypothermia? Pneumonia?  
****Thanks a lot mom  
****From Bella**

**To Bella  
****I'm Sorry  
****From Renée**

**To Renée  
****That doesn't do anything for me  
****From Bella**

I snatched the note off of the door, crumpled it up, and threw it across the porch. I just stared at the door and sat down. It's not like I can do much else. Suddenly a big, warm jacket was being draped over my shoulders. I look up and Paul is just looking at me like, I don't know, like he feels sorry for me or something. It pisses me off for about a second but then he offers me his hand so I can get up. I just stare at it like 'what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?'

"Are you ok?" I didn't respond. I couldn't. I just kept staring at his hand, it was like I was detached or something. "Bella?" I just kept staring at his slightly shaking hand, the little rain droplets dripping down to the porch, making little puddles. I couldn't do anything else. He nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Bella? You're scaring me! Please say something, do something." After a grand total of five seconds he just picks me up, carrying me to his car, driving me to his place. We get there and Paul runs inside.

He comes out with Quil and Quil flings open the door. "Bella? You okay?" I've just been looking out the windshield since Paul got me in the car, unresponsive. "Bella?" He shook me and turned me so that I was facing him. I couldn't do anything, just look straight ahead. "What happened Paul?"

"I don't know. She was at her house, she sat on the porch for like twenty minutes but didn't go inside, and that's when I went to see what was up and she was like this. She's been totally unresponsive ever since. It's kind of scaring me."

"Should we get her inside?"

"_No Quil_," Paul said sarcastically. "Of course we should get her inside!"

Quil stood in front of me and lifted me out of the car. He got me like three feet away from the car before we were tumbling towards the ground. I landed face first in a puddle with Quil on top of me. I couldn't breath but I barely registered that. Suddenly all the weight was lifted off of me and I was being picked up again. The sky was the strangest grey-green color. "What the fuck, Paul?"

"Well, it's better for you to fall on your ass than for her to suffocate!"

After that, black spotted my vision. It bled in with the grey-green sky until there was no more light and the only thing left was black.

***

"Hon, you gotta open you eyes for me. You gotta do something." I heard. The voice was hazy and muffled but I knew it was Jacob's. I tried to, for him. But I didn't have the strength to do it, to open my eyes, to do anything. I just couldn't do anything. I heard sniffing in the background.

"She's not… _dead_ is she?" I didn't know who said it, but it was definitely a female voice.

"No, she has a pulse, Leah," Jacob replied.

"Then why are we _here_?" Everything got hazy again, everything got eaten my black again.

***

I opened my eyes and tried to take in my surroundings, but all I took in were shapes. I couldn't place anything, I didn't know where I was or where I should be, what time it was, why I was here. I sat up and tried to figure shit out.

Click.

Everything was still only a shape but it was all brighter now.

"Bella!" Jacob nearly yelled.

"Jacob, calm down." A girl told him. I think it was Leah. I'm not completely sure though.

"I'm sorry babe, I can't help it." Jacob turns me so that I'm facing him and asks, "Are you okay?" I just look at him like, 'what the fuck?' "Are you okay?" I don't completely understand what he's saying but I'm really trying to. I gotta get my shit together, I gotta do it for Jacob's sake.

"You know, this totally ruined our pre-Valentines day dinner."

"I don't care. We always have Valentines day anyway."

"What do you mean _you don't care_?"

"I mean that Bella's wellbeing is more important than some stupid holiday."

"What?!" Leah screeched. Her nasty, high pitched, shriek brought me back into full awareness. I looked around and recognized Jacob's room immediately. Jacob was sitting next to me on his bed; Leah was in the chair in the corner.

"Bells, you okay?" I looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Well thank god!" Leah said sarcastically.

I looked around for a notebook, but didn't see one. Jacob handed me one.

_Can you tell her to shut the fuck up? _

"Now Bella, that's not very nice."

"What?"

_Tell her that I said she needs to shut up before her voice makes me hurl._

"Bella!" Jacob said in a harsh tone.

"What?" Leah asked. I put my hand over my mouth and pretended like I was hurling.

"Bella, stop."

_No. Don't think I missed that little "This totally ruined our pre-valentines plans" comment. If she can be caddy, then so can I!_

"No you can't."

_Why not?_

"Because I said so," He said firmly.

_Oh, of course. That's a great reason. You're such a hypocrite, you know that?_

"I am not!" Jacob said defensively.

_Yes you are. And none of this would have happened if you hadn't forgotten about me, left me behind. Or maybe it would have, but if you hadn't ditched me it wouldn't have been so bad!_

"That's not fair!"

"What?!"

_Yes it is. You don't know what I just went through Jacob! You have no idea! And it's all your fault! _

"No it's not."

_It is._

"You can't blame me for that, Bella!"

"I'm leaving Jacob. You can't just ignore me like this!" Leah doesn't really like it when she's not the center of attention.

"I'm sorry babe."

"Yeah right!" Leah whined. Like nails on a fucking chalkboard.

Jacob got up and went over to Leah asking her to forgive him, blah, blah, blah. I didn't care. It was all so sickening. I slipped out the window and walked to Quil's house. Jacob didn't even notice when I opened the damn thing, just kept consoling Leah like I was never there. Like Leah even needed consoling. Like there wasn't a catatonic bitch right freaking there, who _may_ have need a _little_ goddamn assistance.

Ten minutes later I was knocking on little red door. Paul answered. "Hi," he said looking down, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. I lifted his chin with two fingers so that he would look at me. I looked at him apologetically. "Do you want to come inside?" He asked. I nodded my head yes. "So what do you…" I walked right into the kitchen and raided the fridge. I made six sandwiches. "You eat a lot don't you?" I shook my head no and got two plates from the cabinet. I put four sandwiches on one plate and two sandwiches on the other. I sat down at the table with the plates. The one with four sandwiches on it went in front of Paul and the one with two on it went in front of me.

"You make really pretty sandwiches." I laughed and took a bite of one. They were kind of pretty sandwiches though. He was done with all four of his by the time I was done with my first one. I slid my plate over to him and he thanked me before inhaling the damn thing. When he was done he asked "Do you want to do something?" I nodded my head yes and walked up stairs to Quil's room. "Hey B. How are you?" he asked, picking me up. I opened my mouth, and then closed it again once he put me down. He looked under his bed for a few seconds and emerged with a notebook and a pencil.

_I'm fine. I wanted to know if I could stay the night because my parents are out of town and they took my key with them. And Jake is too wrapped up in Dragon Lady to do anything._

"He chose her over you?"

_What do you mean?_

"Uh, it's just that we brought you to his house and she was bitching the whole time about "I can't believe I'm here right now. This is completely ruining our Pre-Valentines day dinner!" While you were just sitting there unresponsive, scaring the shit out of all of us she was complaining about how it didn't really fit into her schedule." He rolled his eyes and so did I. "I mean didn't he send her home?"

_No. He's on such a short leash that he yelled at me for asking her to stop bitching about me like I wasn't there. He apologized to her for not paying attention to her, for worrying about me. That's why I'm here. I hate seeing him like that. It's like she owns him sometimes. So I slipped out the window and came here._

"It's sickening how she treats him sometimes."

_Sure is. So is it okay if I crash here for the night?_

"Of course it is. Do you want to do something?"

_Nope. Do whatever you were doing. _

"Okay. I'll be here if you need anything."

I hugged him and went downstairs to see if Paul was still there. He wasn't. I checked upstairs. I didn't know which room was his, but I knew which ones weren't his. That left only one door. I knocked on it.

"Hey."

I smiled sweetly at him.

"You want to come in?" I nodded my head and he stepped to the side. His room was a lot like mine. His walls where white, he had some belts hanging on the wall, his dresser was littered with CD's and books, and colognes, the floor was scattered with clothes, he even had pictures and concert tickets taped on one of the walls. I had all that in my room but instead of a full size bed, I had a twin. It took me a second to realize that his room even smelled like ax, just like mine. "What do you want to do?"

_What do you want to do?_

"Whatever you want to do," he said with a smirk.

**So? What did you think? I hope you guys liked **_**this**_** chapter. I know it's very long but, it flowed. I couldn't stop writing it! I hope you guys like long chapters. I hope you liked this chapter. I sure liked writing it! And I know it took me FOREVER to update, but like I said before, I had some problems with my internet connection. I think it's all fixed now though. So I'll update soon hopefully. I'm trying to edit these chapters better, and make them seem less like a ten year old wrote them, so updates will probably be a little longer apart then they used to be, but only by like a day or two. Oh, and for those of you who also read my other story "What Now?" I'll be doing the same for that too.**

**Yeah, yeah, I know, I made Edward an asshole, but it just came to my brain like that as I was writing. Everything just flowed that way and plus, it HAD to be that way anyhow. Remember in the very beginning of chapter one when she was all worried about what people would think and say and do to Jacob if it was ever known that they were best friends? In this story, Jacob and Edward are good friends. Bella didn't want to screw up Jacob's life. Edward is mainly who she was worrying about because that's where most of the negativity comes from and since Jacob and Edward are tight, it would screw things up for Jake. Make sense that Edward would be an asshole now? Make sense that Bella didn't want it known that she and Jacob are best friends? **

**If that whole explanation didn't really make any sense, I'm sorry, It made sense to me. But that doesn't mean that it will make sense to everyone. I'm sorry if it only confused you. That wasn't my intention.**

**Sorry if you got upset over it, but in my other story, "What Now?" Edward isn't an asshole. So read that if you don't like seeing Edward as a mean-spirited person. Oh, and by the way, he probably won't be in too many more chapters, if he's even in this story again at all.**

**Love you guys!**

**Review?**

**Do it for the starving kittens in Boston?**

**Please, think of the kittens.**


	5. Chapter 5 Handprint

**Okay, I know I haven't updated in a long while and I should. But listen, I had finals that I was cramming for and school is at the top of my priority list. Then there was summer vacation and then my mom shut off the internet. Sorry. That, and the fact that I wrote and rewrote and re-fucking-wrote this chapter. No really. I wrote this shit about seven times and it was all tossed. I settled with this, deciding it wasn't gonna get much better than this and said "fuck it. This is the best I've come up with." So here ya go. And also I'm most proud of this one. Maybe you'll see why by the end. I'm proud of Bella in this because she's so strong and I'm proud of Paul because he's so fearless.**

**Oh, and Edward gets a little violent in the chapter. But… he was instigated…**

**You've been warned.**

**Once again, if you don't like Edward as an asshole, check out my other story What Now. Its good (or so I've been told. That's really up to you, now isn't it?) AND Edward is a sweetheart in it.**

**Without A Sound Chapter Five: Handprint**

Paul's smirk was _breath taking_ when he said, "Whatever you want to do."

I shrugged my shoulders and he asked me, "Can you wait here for a minute?" I nodded my head yes and he left for about half an hour before I was too exhausted to stay awake. I was really tired so I fell asleep before he even got back. I was sitting on his floor and I just feel asleep. Okay, I know that sounds bad but, I was tired and his room was warm and it smelled good and it just lulled me to sleep. I can't help it. When I woke up I was in his bed, in pajamas, and covered with big thick blankets. Paul was no where to be found. The clock said 1:08 when I looked over to it.

I got up and went down to the kitchen. I made two tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches and started eating one of them. I heard rustling behind me and I turned to see what it was. Paul was walking into the kitchen, his eyes were droopy and heavy from sleep, his hair was in every which direction, and he had the biggest goofiest grin on his face. "Morning Bella," he said sleepily. I smiled, waved, and went back to eating. "What cha eatin?" he asked, pulling out the chair across from me. I slid the plate over to him and he looked to see what it was.

"You eat tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches?" I nodded my head and continued eating mine. "Can I have this?" I nodded again. "I love tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches. My mom used to make them for us when we were little."

That was like whoa.

Even Quil never told me anything about their mom. All I ever knew was that she died when Quil was five and Paul was six and now their dad works like crazy, they hardly ever even see him. I never knew how she died or what she looked like or anything about her but_ this_ was _something_ and I was grateful that Paul trusted me enough to tell me that precious little piece of his past. But it could also just be that it's such a touchy subject as with Quil. Or it could be just as touchy for him but since its one in the morning and he doesn't have that filter yet.

Who knows?

When I was done I just kinda watched him eat and it was a weird thing to do but he didn't complain and it was the only thing I had to do. I didn't want to be rude and just walk out and honestly I wanted to know where he came from because I woke up in his bed, by myself and then he came from the somewhere else and I didn't want to kick him out of his own room. I would sleep on the couch. It didn't matter to me.

By the time he was done I was staring at my hands and it was making me tired.

"You want me to walk you back to my room?" I shook my head no. "Well then, I'll just go back to the couch then…" I looked up at him then and shook my head no. "What? You don't want me to go back to sleep?" I was confused by that a little bit. But what else could one expect from me at one o'clock in the morning? "Hold on."

He got up and went upstairs. Two minutes later he came down with a notebook and pen.

_It's not that I don't want you to go to sleep. I just don't want you to sleep on the couch. I would rather if you sleep in your room and if I slept on the couch._

"The couch is uncomfortable. I wouldn't want you to sleep there if you could have a nice bed to sleep in."

_No. It's your room and I want you to sleep there._

"I'm not gonna let you sleep on the couch! It's not a gentlemanlike thing to do," he said looking down at his bare feet. Paul was getting tired, I could tell. But if he didn't want me on the couch and I wanted him in his room there was only one solution I could think of.

_Fine_

"What? What do you mean "fine"?"

I grabbed him by the hand and walked upstairs. "What are you doing?" he asked. I just kept walking because I couldn't answer him right there. When we got up to his room he sat on his bed.

I sat on the floor and stared at the wall. "Are you okay?" I turned to him and nodded. "Do you wanna go back to sleep?" I nodded. He moved over to one side of the bed and pulled down the covers. I really had no choice but to get into the bed. Even under the covers I was freezing. I was shaking and shivering. Paul turned over and grabbed me up and held me close. He was looking at me like I don't even know what. It – this whole situation – was weirdly intimate but he was _so _warm. I couldn't object. I fell asleep in seconds.

I felt so safe in his arms.

"Get up sleeping beauty" Quil joked. "We gotta get ready for school." Paul had been poking me in the stomach this whole time. I had been laughing.

What? I'm ticklish.

"I'll find you some clothes to wear," Quil said. He left and I looked over to Paul who was staring at me.

_What?_

"Nothing. I'm sorry about last night," he said. I didn't want him to be. But I can't change how anyone else feels. I shrugged and stared at the wall. "Didn't you like… not like that?"

_If you must know, I think it was really sweet. And I would only regret it if you did._

Paul let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Cause I thought I was overstepping my boundaries with that."

_Its fine_

Quil walked in then with a pair of my black shorts and a dark blue shirt that I had left here the longest time ago. I forgot all about them to be honest. I walked to the bathroom and took a shower. Then I changed into the clothes Quil gave me. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and walked over to Paul's room. He wasn't in there so I went downstairs and saw and heard Paul and Quil whispering angrily back and forth. I tried to hear what they were talking about but I tripped and they both looked over to me and gave each other a look and I knew that the conversation had ended for now.

In the kitchen I felt safe and warm so I made breakfast since it was only six o'clock. They loved it, I didn't eat, and then I headed for the door because it was already six fourty.

"Bella," Quil said. "Where are you going?"

_Uhm, walking to school?_

"No. I know you do that with Jake but you are not walking today sweetie," Quil said disapprovingly. I started to shake my head but Paul came up behind me and picked me up to carry me to his car. They really didn't want me to walk. They wouldn't take no for an answer. They didn't care about what people would say. But I did. They were better than that. Better than me. We picked up Embry and headed to school. I was nervous, very nervous.

"Chill sweetie. I won't let anything happen to you," Quil said to me as I got out of Paul's car. Everyone was staring. People were whispering and pointing like we were all in the third fucking grade. Immature bastards, I thought as Paul, Quil, Embry, and I walked into school. Embry went to his first class but Quil and Paul kept walking beside me. "We're gonna walk you to your first class," Quil whispered in my ear as we walked down the hallway. I kept my eyes down and my head low. I heard Jacob talking to Leah in the hallway as we passed them.

"Hold on," I heard him say. "Bella? What happened last night? Where did you go? One minute you were there, then you were gone." I stopped dead in my tracks. He never talked to me during school. It was one of our rules. In fact, it was rule number one. I just looked at Jacob for a second before Quil and Paul were beside me again. I placed a hand on Quil's shoulder to let Jacob know I was safe and with Quil last night. I quickly removed my hand before too many people could see. "Okay. So you were with Quil last night?" I nodded.

"Yeah, and I don't really appreciate that she wasn't as important to you last night as Leah," Quil snapped angrily. Jake looked taken aback. I took this opportunity to slip away and hurry to class.

"Wait a second?" Paul asked. I forgot about him. "Do you want me to walk you to class?" I shook my head no. "Why?"

_I'll tell you later okay? You're going to be late for class. _

"Okay. I'll see you around"

In English, everyone just stared at me. I hid behind my backpack.

**Lunch**

I went to the library only to find it completely empty – the librarian wasn't even in here – and Jacob sitting at the table I usually sit at.

I sat down and pulled out my homework like I always did. I didn't want to be bothered so I pulled out my iPod. I didn't turn the music on but I pretended like I was listening to it. Thirty minutes of silence went by before anything happened.

"Jacob? What the _fuck _are you doing here with her?" Edward Cullen sneered

_a sq. + b sq. = hypotenuse sq._

"Nothing," he said.

Edward huffed.

"All the other tables in the library were full and she _does_ sit here everyday." Jacob added quickly.

"And she thought she could sit _here_. With _you_? What the hell is wrong with her?"

_(5__ x 5) + (6 x 6) = hypotenuse sq._

"She's not bothering anyone. She's just doing her homework and listening to music, Edward. Calm down. And besides, I sat down after she was already here."

Jacob was so stupid to defend me. He didn't have to. He really probably shouldn't have.

"I know that Paul came to school with her today. Are you sure this has nothing to do with that?"

_hypotenuse sq. = 61_

"Listen, she was walking and he drove by her. He knew that she would be late so he gave her a ride. Is there a fucking problem with that Sparkles?" I almost burst out laughing at that. But I had to keep the pretence of listening to music and doing homework.

"Word around school is that those two go out"

"No. That's not true at all. So you can tell whoever told you that to shove it up their ass." Jacob snapped.

I heard the chair beside me being pulled out and someone sat down. I just kept doing my homework like I was completely unaware of what the fuck was going on. Suddenly the headphones were being ripped from my ears and Edward was glaring at me. I gave him my best scared kitten/innocent child look.

"What do you think you're doing? Sitting here?" He kind of growled.

I pointed down at my homework and gave him an expectant look.

"Why do you think you can sit with Jacob?" he whisper yelled.

_You're very protective aren't you?_

"You know that's no what I mean you bitch!"

_Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?_

Jacob was laughing really hard but tried to hide it when Edward turned his glare on him.

That's when it happened. He actually fucking did it.

Edwards hands came up and grabbed my wrists to pull me to him. My eyes widened and my heartbeat fastened. I tried to get out of his death grip on my wrists but he _was_ stronger than I. At this point I was just really afraid he was gonna hit me. Right there, just because no one else was there. He stood up, still gripping my poor wrists so I was forced to stand too. He slapped me across the face and let go of me. I fell to the ground and gripped my face.

I heard a growl and looked up to see Edward storming out. Jacob was already gone, beside Edward. I knew it was an act but it still hurt to see it play out in front of me after what had just happened.

My face throbbed and my ego was bruised and I was pissed off! I mean who the hell does he think he is! Just fucking hitting me like that?

Who the hell does he think he is?

Who the fuck am I kidding?

He's Edward Fucking Cullen. He's the golden child, the prodigy, and how dare I have the balls to stand up to him. How dare I not swoon over him like every other mindless girl in this town.

I was only one person. And no one would care even if they had seen that little exchange. Because I was just Bella "No Word Wendy" Swan and he was Edward Fucking Cullen. It didn't matter who I was, I would never be able to compare to Edward Cullen. I had to accept it. While I was accepting it, I gathered my shit from the table and went into the bathroom to check the damage.

As soon as I saw, I gasped. There was a clear handprint already. It had already fucking bruised. In less than five minutes it had bruised! And it took up pretty much the whole right side of my face.

Shit!

I couldn't go to class looking like this and there was only about fifteen minutes left.

As soon as I pulled out my phone to text Jacob, I got a text from a number I didn't recognize.

_**Did you really slap Edward in the face?  
**_-_**Unknown sender**_

_**Uh, who is this?  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Paul. Did you slap him?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**No. That can't be what you really think  
**__**-Bella**_

_**It is what I thought. Because that's what Edward and Jacob just told the team. What happened then?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Jacob was sitting at my usual spot when I got to the library. No one else was in there, which was odd. But I sat down there anyway and then Edward came like WHAT THE HELL! WHY ARE YOU SITTING WITH JACOB? And I told him why r u so damn protective anyway? and he said THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU BITCH! And I said do you kiss your mother with that mouth? (I was just trying to be witty.) And HE slapped ME  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Whoa  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Ive got a bruise on my face. An obvious handprint. I can't be seen like this! And he doesn't even have a mark! Ugh! Its no fair.  
**__**-Bella**_

_**He really slapped you?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**You don't believe me? God, what do you want, proof?  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Sorry. Where are you? Hiding in the bathroom?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yeah. Why?  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Come out. I need to see you. I need to see how bad it is  
**__**-Paul**_

_**NO!  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Why?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I CAN'T BE SEEN LIKE THIS!  
**__**-Bella**_

_**If you don't come out, I'll have to come in there. And I know you don't want that  
**__**-Paul**_

I stepped out and there was Paul, he was fuming as soon and he saw my face and the big fat bruise on it. His fists clenched and his hands were shaking.

"I'll kill him!" Paul said headed toward the door, leaving me behind.

I had to run to catch up to him. He stopped and glared down at me. I flinched. I couldn't stand seeing him angry, and for him to be angry with me after what had just happened? I tensed and got ready to be hit again. I think he knew because he hugged me tight. In the middle of the hallway. No one saw but it was still sweet and comforting. "It's okay. I'm gonna fix this," he whispered in my ear. I pulled back and looked up at him and I shook my head no.

"Why?"

"Paul!" Edward yelled. "What the _fuck_ are you doing?"

"I was just-"

I was startled to say the least. But I was even more startled when I was being slammed into a row of lockers. "Don't ever let me hear you were fucking around with Paul or Jacob again," Edward hissed, like actual venom dripping from his mouth. I looked up at him, eyes wide, on the verge of tears. I should have known better.

I ran. I had to get away. I had to get away from Edward and Paul and Jacob. Edward was cackling like a hen, the disgusting sound echoed through the hallways, following me.

By the time I got to my house, soaking wet, out of breath, and crying like a child, I knew three things for certain:

First, I had to get out of Forks. Second, I need to go see Quil before I left. And third, I had no one in this world that I could trust.

_**I'm so sorry for what happened today.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**No you're not.  
**__**-Bella**_

_**I really am sorry  
**__**-Paul**_

_**No. Your. Not.  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Yes I am. And I'm a fucking idiot for letting him do it it.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**You are a fucking idiot. I'm not gonna argue with you there.  
**__**But I'm an even bigger idiot for thinking I could trust you  
**__**-Bella**_

_**Where are you? We need to talk  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I don't want to talk to you  
**__**-Bella**_

_**I understand that you're mad at me right now but…  
**__**-Paul**_

_**What?  
**__**-Bella**_

**Bella POV**

And that's when my phone died. I needed time to think. After a twenty minute walk into the woods, I decided it was time to turn back.

When I got to the edge, I could see Paul, on the front porch. I snuck around to the back and saw that my window was open. I climbed the tree close to the side of the house almost silently and when I got to the window, I climbed in and shut it tight. My room was the only place I could be safe. I put my phone on it's charger and turned it on.

Jesus…

I knew I had to talk to him, so I walked down the stairs and opened the door. He didn't notice. I had to nudge his leg with my foot. He was startled and then he was just… I don't know. So many emotions crossed his face so quickly that I couldn't even tell what all of them were. When he stood up I backed away because I knew he had _those _eyes and _that _face that could make me forget everything. And if he decided to put those strong arms around me, I was done for. But he looked so hurt I almost second guessed myself.

Almost.

**Paul POV**

Fuck.

She really _did_ hate me.

It shouldn't hurt as much as it does. It's not like I wanted all this shit. Honestly, I was only eighteen. I'm too young to be in love. I don't _want_ this. But at the same time, it's like I was put on this earth to fall in love with her and to make her happy and to protect her. Stupid goddamn – _Oh my God, she just touched me._

She grabbed my arm and dragged me into her living room, she's a lot stronger than she looks, that's for sure. On the inside, I squealed like a school girl. On the outside, I tried to hide how happy I was that she was at least gonna hear me out. She's gonna think I'm crazy or on drugs but at least I'll get the truth out and I can feel better about this sooner or later.

**Bella POV**

I dragged his sorry ass into the living room by his arm and pushed him onto the couch and went to go get a notebook. On my way back I was already writing.

_Are you ready to explain your insanity now?_

Because I wasn't paying attention to were I was going, I tripped over the edge of the rug and almost fell on my face. Almost. He caught me before I did.

Fuck.

He picked me up and set me down on the couch. He stayed standing in front of me.

"Okay, I've got a few things to tell you. I'm not crazy, I'm not on drugs, and I'm not hallucinating. What I'm about to tell you is _completely _true."

I sat there for about forty five minutes while he told me all about the old Quileute legends. He saved the weirdest for last, I'll tell you that. Okay, so he expects me to believe that werewolves, vampires, _and_ love at first freakin' sight, imprinting as he called it, all exist? Uh, no. This kid is on crack.

"You don't believe a word I just said do you?" Paul asked deadpan.

I shook my head no.

"Fuck! I can prove it, right now." I rolled my eyes and then he picked me up and carried me out into the woods. He set me on my feet, turned around, and walked about twenty feet away. When he started stripping down I was seriously contemplating running for my life but somehow, I knew he wouldn't do anything like that. If he loved me as much as those old storied said, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded even though I knew he couldn't see it, his back was turned to me. But I think he knew. He took a steadying breath and in the blink of an eye, he was a big grey wolf. When I say big, I mean BIG. The size of a house. It – _he _turned around and I knew. I knew that if I ran away, I would be _so_ stupid. If this was true, and clearly it was, then why would he lie about all that other shit? I took a few steps towards him and he closed his eyes and took a big breath, like he was preparing himself for something or holding himself back or some shit. My eyes never left him, so I wasn't surprised when I tripped over something. I was waiting for the impact, braced myself for it but I never felt the ground meet my face. When I finally pried my eyes open, I saw that I was literally inches above the ground, and then I realized I was being held up by shirt. I looked up to where Paul should have been and he wasn't there.

I felt my shirt pull a little more and I was being lifted up. When I had my balance, I turned around to see the big grey wolf just… staring like, I don't know. And he had that big goofy smile on his face like, 'I just saved your life! Ha! I'm not an asshole! See?' I smiled at him because even though it was different because he was currently a big grey wolf, that smile was still infectious. He nodded his head toward the house and gave me a little nudge. I walked over to the house and I sat at the kitchen table.

_**Jake, I need to talk to you.  
**__**-Bella**_

_**I'm with Leah right now. I'll come over later. Okay? I promise I will  
**__**-Jacob**_

_**You better  
**__**-Bella**_

**So? What did you think? This chapter was long as hell but I thought a lot of work went into it and I thought it came out great. Just my opinion. I'm thinking of having outtakes of this story because I seriously have like 30 something pages on my computer of deleted shit that I wanted to keep somewhere just incase. Most of it was chapter five shit. If anyone actually reads these A/Ns they should let me know if that would be something they would be interested in. **

**On a completely different note,**

**Am I an asshole for making Edward hit a girl? Yes, yes I am, I'll admit it. Which is exactly why this shit ALMOST didn't make the cut. Almost. This is the version I chose because honestly, there's too much other shit in here that is SO much more powerful that I wanted to make the cut but didn't really fit into any of my other drafts. So its not all about Edward being a douche its also about that relationship between Bella and Paul that I've been trying to build and make more concrete. It's also about the friendships with Jacob and Quil. I tried to convey that shit in other drafts but none of that was represented WELL in the others. And yeah, I could have taken the slap out but then I think that Paul wouldn't tell her the legends and that he imprinted on her and they wouldn't work through all that shit. You know?**

**I'm just thinking out loud, so to speak.**

**Think of all the starving kittens in Boston**

**Review**

**Do it for their big green eyes and sad little faces**

**Until next time, **

**Xoxo**

**Michelle**

**I LOVE YOU GUYS AND I HOPE I DIDN'T DISAPPOINT ANYONE WITH THIS CHAPTER! **

**If I did, I'm truly and deeply sorry.**


	6. Chapter 6 Here Goes Nothing

**You guys, I'm not planning on having a lot of Paul POV in this story. Just a few sprinkled here and there to add a little contrast, a little color, shine a new light on an incident here and there. Aint gonna be too many more. (As far as I know…) And for those of you who didn't like the whole imprinting thing, stick around, I think you'll like it later on. I got some tricks up my sleeve. DON'T WORRY!**

**On another note, I'm sooooo sorry for not updating in a LONG time! At first, I had finals and I had to focus on school, then I had to spend a few weeks at my dad's house, and then I lost my internet privileges, then my effing computer had problems. So now I'm totally focused on these two stories of mine. I WILL be starting a new story as soon as I'm done with What Now. I need to finish that because I don't want to leave two stories unfinished before I start another one. **

**See you down below!**

**Without A Sound Chapter Six Here Goes Nothing**

**Bella POV**

I didn't even see Jacob until he came over six days after I texted him. I hadn't even seen him since that day because I haven't been to school. I hadn't seen Paul either. I knew what I had to do, and I had to tell him everything. The odd thing is that when I told him everything Paul did and said he wasn't surprised and he didn't question my sanity.

"I know he's a werewolf Bella. I knew that. What I _didn't_ know was that he imprinted on you."

_How? How could you possibly know that he is a werewolf?_

"I'm a werewolf too."

I should have known.

_How could you keep this from me?_

"Gag order from Sam. He's the Alfa. What he says goes. No matter what."

_I'm considering what Paul said. And he was right, you can't really deny that level of commitment and adoration._

"Really?" Jacob asked incredulously.

_Yes_

His face _fell _and I didn't know why. He got all serious and I didn't know what to do as his serious face turned angry very, very quickly. "You. Are. Not. Serious." He hissed. Now his whole body was shaking and I was honestly scared of him. I've never been scared of him in my life.

I nodded.

"You're not." He argued.

At this point in time, I got really pissed off. Who is he to tell me how I feel? I know what I want. He can't tell me any different. And I refused to let him.

_Stop arguing with me. This isn't about what you want anymore. It's about what I want!_

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into! You could get hurt! I'm telling you no. I don't approve of this."

_That's __**not**__ how you're gonna get you're way; I don't need your approval. God! You can be __**such**__ an asshole sometimes! _

I left the notebook on the table and stormed upstairs to my bedroom and slammed the door.

xxx

"I'm really sorry!"

I threw my shoe at him, which he caught with a big stupid smile on his face.

"I didn't mean it!"

I threw the other one which he also caught. Fucking reflexes. He walked over to my bed, slipped my shoes back on, and kissed me on the forehead. "You're my best friend and I just don't want anything bad to happen to you! I'm telling you he's bad news. I love you too much to let you get hurt like that."

I pushed him away and began to scribble in my notebook.

_Act like it._

"I do – will – whatever." He smiled. "Is that you're dad?" I didn't hear anything but I jumped up, grabbed him by the arm and ran down the stairs. No one was down there but I turned on the television and ran into the kitchen to take out the lasagna I had started to make when we got home. As soon as I got it out of the oven, Charlie walked in. Jacob got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to help me set the table and everything.

Charlie plopped down on the couch looking distraught. Again. I gave Jacob a worried look and then to my dad, who had his back turned to me. I knew this was eating away at him and I didn't want to ask him anything. I didn't want to upset my father, but I had to know. He wasn't the only one in this family who was affected by this shit. But I knew I'd never be able to. I didn't want to cause him _more_ stress than he already had. Jake caught on to our gloomy moods and sat on the couch next to my dad. I continued to put food out on the table.

"So, still no sign of her, huh?" Jake asked softly.

"No. She's been gone for five whole days now." Dad whispered back.

"I feel like there is something you aren't telling me Charlie. You're hiding something" Jake whispered.

Charlie pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "She left me this the night she took off."

Jacob read it carefully and asked quietly – quietly enough that I had to strain to hear, "Does Bella know about this?"

Charlie shook his head no. "I don't want her to, so it'd be great if you didn't tell her." He whispered back.

I came up from behind the couch and took the piece of paper gently from Jacob's hand.

_**Charlie, **_

_**You work too much and you don't pay attention to me or Bella anymore. You're job has become an obsession lately and I don't think it's fair. I love you, and I always will. But there are things you can't give me anymore. I'm leaving you Charlie. And I'll come back for Bella if she wants to be with me. To be honest, I only stayed for as long as I did because of that beautiful girl we have. I love you and I love her but I can't pretend anymore. I can't pretend to be happy and carefree anymore Charlie. I've got a lot to handle, a lot on my mind. I'll always love you, but I can't be with you, I can't be a part of your life anymore. I'll be back in a week or two for Bella.  
**__**Sorry  
**__**Love always,  
-**__**Ren**__**é**__**e **_

I was so angry and upset I didn't even know what to do. I didn't know how this could happen. I didn't know why Charlie didn't tell me that she left. He told me she had "gone missing" and he didn't know what to do. It was _such_ a lie. I couldn't believe that he had been lying to me all this time!

"Bella, I can see that you're upset but you can't –"

I ran up to my room and locked the door. I fell to my floor and cried. My mom left us. She didn't want us anymore. What the hell did he do to make her want to leave?

**Mom, where did you go? Please come back?  
****-Bella **

**I can't sweetie. I'm sorry.  
****-Ren****é****e**

**Please at least tell me why you left. I read the note. What happened to make you abandon us?  
****-Bella**

**I didn't abandon you  
****-Ren****é****e**

**Why did you leave?  
****-Bella**

**I never fell out of love with your father but I found someone who I love just as much but he shows his love for me more than your father ever did okay? Are you happy now that I said it?  
****-Ren****é****e**

**No. But thanks for telling me the truth. When are you coming back for me?  
****-Bella**

**You would come with me?  
****-Ren****é****e**

**Yes.  
****-Bella**

**Just give me until tomorrow night  
****And make sure to pack your bags before I get there.  
****-Renée**

**I will  
****-Bella **

"Bella?" Charlie's muffled voice asked through the thick wood of my door. "Please come out."

I walked over to my bed and arranged the extra pillows that I had in my closet under my covers. Then I opened my window and climbed out.

xxx

"Bella!" Quil exclaimed when he opened the door to find me. He picked me up in a huge hug. "Where have you been?"

I shrugged.

"That's not a good enough answer Bell.

_I'm leaving Forks tomorrow night._

"What? Why?"

_No one knows I'm leaving yet so if you could keep it to yourself that would be great._

"Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Is this because my stupid mopey brother hasn't talked to you or seen you since the day he told you everything? Because if it is, that's a horrible reason to just up and leave. He hasn't seen you or called or anything because he thought you didn't want to be around him. He misses you terribly Bella. Trust me. There were so many times in the middle of the night when he would get dressed and walk out the door to go see you… but then he'd come back. He thought you wouldn't want anything to do with 'a monster' like him. We _both_ miss you."

_I'm not leaving because of Paul. I'm leaving because of my mother._

"What, you're gonna try and find her? I heard she went missing."

_She didn't 'go missing' Quil. She left Charlie. And so that he doesn't look pathetic because his wife just left him, he is telling people that she's missing. She's not. And she's coming back for me in tomorrow._

"Are you gonna tell Paul? Or am I going to have to?"

_What do you think, will it even matter who tells him?_

"I think it should be you," he said looking down at his shoes.

_Why?_

"Because I honestly don't know how I could tell him. I'm not gonna have all the information he's gonna want, because he _will_ ask a million questions and he'll freak out. You would have those answers, not me. And he would at least get to see you one more time before you leave, if you were the one to tell him."

_Okay. Where is he?_

"He's on patrol but when he gets in I'll tell him to run right over to your house okay?"

I nodded and gave him a big hug. When I turned to leave, he grabbed my hand.

"Do you want to wait here? I'd love to chill with you." I almost declined but then I thought about what I would have to come home to. And I hadn't seen Quil in a while. I had missed him terribly and I knew he would be really disappointed if I didn't stay for a while and catch up.

I nodded and we walked into the living room and talked for a while. When I started yawning Quil told me that I should go to sleep.

_No. I have to go home now._

"Why can't you just sleep for a little while and then when Paul gets back, you can just tell him everything?" Quil pleaded. I almost went home but he had that puppy dog face on and I couldn't really say no. Even though I was so pissed off at Paul for not seeing me or calling me for a week, I had the strangest need to see him one last time. I wanted to talk to him. I would absolutely die if I didn't see his smile one last time before I left.

_Where would I even sleep?_

"My room or Paul's room," Quil said with a shrug

We walked up to Quil's room and he told me to wait while he got something small enough for me to sleep in. He came back with a white tank and black sleep shorts. I quickly changed when Quil left the room and when I came out he took my clothes and put them in the washer.

"Come on, you gotta sleep in Paul's room because mine is disgusting. Good thing is he just cleaned." Quil had the biggest grin on his face when he was walking me to Paul's room.

It was just like I remembered it from the last time I was here. But this time, there were fewer clothes on the floor and he had a neatly folded piece of paper on his bed. Amongst a billion crumbled up ones and a notebook. It smelled different too. It smelled sweet. Quil rushed in and got all the papers and the notebook before telling me to make myself comfortable.

I was too tired to even feel awkward about climbing into some guy's bed. I fell asleep quickly and was woken up by Quil telling me my father was on the phone. I rolled my eyes at him but sat up anyway.

"He knows you're here. He wants to know how long you're gonna be here." He gave me a serious look. I shrugged and he said, "Maybe tomorrow night. Okay, bye Charlie."

Quil hung up the phone and tucked me in like I was a kid. He kissed me on the forehead and turned off the light. "Goodnight Bella," he whispered.

"Oh. Here, this was in your pocket." He handed me my phone and my iPod. I turned my music on and fell asleep before the first song was even over.

**xxx**

**Paul POV**

I came home from a long night of patrol wanting noting more than my bed. I walked into my room only to find someone in my bed. I pulled back the covers and saw a girl sleeping peacefully. I looked closer at the sleeping beauty in my bed and saw that it was _Bella_.

Bella was in my bed.

In

My

Bed

Oh. My. God.

I walked quietly into Quil's room, freaking out a little bit.

"Why is Bella in my room?" I asked in a whisper.

Quil had the cheekiest grin on his face. "She came over to tell you something. Your welcome for convincing her to stay till you got here by the way," he snapped. I rolled my eyes at him. "You're a complete dumbass. You know this right?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, shocked.

"She felt like you didn't mean what you said, that you somehow played a practical joke on her with the whole wolf thing. She didn't come here about that though…"

"What? How? Why would she think that?"

"She thinks that because you've been avoiding her for a week you dumbass. You are a jackass, you are a _genuine jackass_. Idiot. How could you not see that coming?"

Of course. I'm getting lectured by all knowing Quil, and I feel like an idiot because really, I _should_ have seen that coming. I should have talked to her instead of hiding from her like some coward.

"Listen, I need for you to not freak out when she tells you what she has to tell you because its not gonna help. And I'm telling you right now, you're not gonna like what she has to say." He gave me that if-you-do-I'll-fucking-kill-you look that he gets sometimes when he gets super serious about something.

My heart sank and I felt horrible. She's probably gonna tell me how much she hates me and how she never wants to see me ever again. Quil must've seen something in my expression. "It has nothing to do with you, you lucky fuck. The way she acts around you and the way her eyes light up when I talk about you, tells me that she's probably starting to fall for you. Trust me. If you had talked to her yesterday like you were _going_ to, she wouldn't have had to come to talk to you today."

"What do you mean?" I was confused by what he had said and I probably should know what the hell he meant before I talked to her.

"Go talk to her and find out!" he snapped.

I just looked down at the floor, "I don't want to wake her up. She looks so peaceful Quil."

"Pansy," he muttered. "Go wake her up. Here," he said handing me a notebook and a pen.

I took them from him and headed for my room. When I got to my room I took a deep breath. I walked over and knelt down next to the bed. Before I even touched her she woke with a start. I was frozen in place. She looked all over as if she didn't know where she was. Then she looked at me and she looked so relieved but scared and overwhelmed at the same time. She looked into my eyes for a few seconds before she launched herself at me. She hugged me so tight and then she pulled back and kissed me. Passionately. Once again I was frozen. She kept trying to get me to respond but I couldn't, then she pulled away.

By then my brain was working properly and I wasn't in shock from the suddenness of it all. I leaned forward and kissed her back and she grabbed my hair, pulling me closer to her. She started leaning back and was actually pulling me onto the bed with her.

"Ahem!" Quil fake coughed. Bella stopped, she froze and I pulled away from her.

"Smooth move, Quil." I said rolling my eyes.

"So talk! Don't just make out!" He ordered. "Well…?" Quil asked Bella, expectantly.

Bella opened her mouth almost like she forgot she wouldn't be able to say anything. She closed her mouth and looked around for something. I searched on the floor for the notebook and pen that I dropped when she attacked me for my mouth and when I found them, I handed them to her.

She scribbled furiously in the notebook and handed it to me when she was done.

_In the morning_

I read it and smirked. I looked up to Quil and said, "In the morning"

"Bella, this is _important!_" he exclaimed.

_So?_

"So?" I said laughing.

Quil huffed and shut the door. I could hear him stomping to his room.

I turned to look over at Bella. "So that was—" she cut me off with her lips and I was buzzing with the electricity that her current created. It was intense. And I was trying so hard to hold myself back, to be gentle. She broke away and tried to catch her breath. When she turned to me again I _had_ to stop her. If I didn't do it now, I couldn't be sure of what would happen. "We have to stop." She looked disappointed but I think she knew why I had to say it. She leaned in steal one more quick kiss and then settled into the bed. I did too.

Once we were settled, it became an epic game of 'I bet I can kiss you more times than you can kiss me before we fall asleep.' She definitely won. For about another hour we were just keeping ourselves awake so that we could have _just one more_ _kiss. _She gave me soft, sweet kisses that were strangely reminiscent of goodbye. When I finally fell asleep, that was all I could dream about. The fact that this amazing girl who, I had been hiding this from for about a year and a half now, was okay with me and what I was. She clearly had no problems with it. But I was expecting the 'goodbye' anytime. There was always that underlying feeling that she was gonna disappear.

**xxx**

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Bella. She was still sleeping. The light coming in from my window hit her in a way that just made her glow. It magnified her beauty, if that was even possible. She was already beautiful, I had always thought that, even before I had imprinted on her, but looking at her right now… she was breathtaking. Her long brown hair was shining and the sun made it possible to see the red highlights that she had. She looked so relaxed and peaceful when she was sleeping. She looked just a little younger when she was sleeping, innocent. She didn't have that bitterness that she sometimes emanated when she was at school or here, chilling with the gang, especially when Edward was around or was even mentioned. Her bruise was barely noticeable now. You wouldn't even know it was there unless you had seen it when she first got it. It was almost completely gone. You could just barely see the outline that his hand left. It tainted her beautiful flawless alabaster skin like a poison, and I hated it and I hated him for doing it.

I heard a loud howl and I jumped out of bed, knowing it was Sam. Quil ran in my room three seconds later. "Come on, we gotta go big bro!" I grabbed that notebook up from off the floor and scribbled in a little note for her because I knew she would wake up soon. She'd probably be up before we got back.

_**Bella,  
**__**Quil and I will be back shortly.  
**__**A few hours tops.  
**__**When we get back, we can talk.  
**__**-Paul**_

**(A/N: pack mind right here but you can pretty much tell who's talking. I just wanted to point that out)**

"Come on, Sunshine! Sam is gonna be pissed! We gotta get a move on princess!" I rolled my eyes at my little brother but headed for the door.

As soon as I phased, the questioning began.

_When did you imprint on her?_

_How did you hide it from us? We share your fucking thoughts!_

_I can't believe that this happened! How could this happen?_

_Will you guys stop? You act like it's a bad thing that Paul imprinted!_

_You're just saying that because he's your big brother, Quil!_

_Jacob, Jared, Embry! This isn't The Spanish Inquisition so stop acting like it! Quil, I get that he's your brother but he can fight his own battles. Paul, when did it happen and how did you keep it from us?_

_It happened about a year and a half ago, and I was able to keep it from you guys because we were always busy in our wolf form. There was no time for me to think about it. And honestly? I didn't want it, I didn't want to even acknowledge the fact that it had happened, and I didn't want you guys to know._

_Then why do you want it now Paul? What the hell is so fucking different about her now than a year ago?_

_Language, Jacob._

_Sorry Sam. _

_I don't know what's different. I don't think anything is. But I don't want to fight it anymore._

_Well, continue to fight it Paul! You could hurt her, you could…_

_Jacob, stop! My brother would never hurt her! I know you carry the torch for her and that you're scared everyday that __**you**__ could hurt her, but Paul isn't you. He won't hurt her, isn't that like, impossible?_

_No, Quil, it's not impossible to hurt her. Haven't you seen Emily?_

_I thought she got attacked by a bear_

_No._

_Jared, Embry, why are you so angry about this?_

_I'm angry because she's my best friend and I only want the best for her and honestly, that's not you…_

_I'm not really angry for the same reasons as Jacob and Embry, Paul. I'm not even angry. We're supposed to be like brothers. You kept the biggest possible thing from us like you couldn't trust us or something._

_What do you want me to do Jared? You wanna talk about our fucking feelings in your living room now? I know! I can braid your hair while we talk about boys! And then, we can have a sleepover and you can paint my nails!_

_Hahaha!_

_Paul! Don't do that! He's being serious; you don't have to be so fucking mean to him! And you don't have to laugh Quil!_

_You guys are ganging up on me like I did something wrong! Like I could even control it! What the fuck do you want me to do Embry?_

_You don't have to be so damn rude to Jared!_

_And you don't have to be so damn rude to Paul!_

_Will you guys shut the fuck up? Can we get back on track?_

_Jacob no one was even talking to you! You're just mad that the topic isn't directly related to you anymore!_

_Fuck you Paul!_

_LANGUAGE!_

_You don't need to talk to my brother like that!_

_Quil, you can't really think that this could possibly be a good thing!_

_Actually I do Jake! I think that she would be good for him. He would be great for her too!_

_How!_

_Because, she would give him a reason to do something good and you know what happened with Edward! You sat right there and let it fucking happen! Now that she knows and he doesn't have to hide it, he wouldn't have to hesitate to protect her if something like that were to ever happen again. You certainly wouldn't do anything to stop it if it ever did! She would always be safe, and it's not like you know him anyway! You wouldn't get it! He has so much good in his heart and now he can use it!_

_Thanks mommy! I don't need to explain myself to anyone and I certainly don't need you to do it for me!_

_Sorry_

_That's not even fair Quil!_

_Neither is trying to make him out to be the fucking bad guy, Jacob!_

_I'm not going to say it one more time! Watch your language!_

_Sorry Sam…_

_Well, I'd really like to go home now. So can I Sam?_

_SHE'S AT YOUR EFFING HOUSE? _

_Don't yell at me Jacob!_

_Yes you can go home Paul. You can go too, Quil._

_YOU SLEPT WITH HER?_

_Didn't he just tell you to stop yelling at him?_

_Technically, but…_

_I'm gonna kill you!_

_STOP IT JACOB!_

_There was no sex involved, Sparky!_

"Oh my god, Paul! I thought that we was gonna kill us!"

"He needs to get over himself!"

"Yeah but I still don't understand why it was such a big deal that you imprinted. How did they find out anyway?" Quil asked himself the question really.

"She told him." I said quietly

"How do you know?"

"You weren't paying as much attention to him as I was. When you went on your motherly monologue he thought about it and there was a quick second when he thought about the note she wrote to him. She was telling him that she had to come talk to me and that I was right about how she'd— Do you smell that?" I asked sniffing the air.

He did apparently because before I even finished asking, he was following the scent. We followed it all the way up to our street, to our front porch, and into the kitchen, where Bella was setting the table. She had _so much_ food on the table it was ridiculous. She had scrambled eggs, bacon, bagels, French toast, pancakes, waffles, and oatmeal on the table and there were blueberry muffins on the counter.

"Damn!" we both exclaimed.

"Where is she?" Quil asked.

"I don't know, maybe she's upstairs,"

I ran up the stairs, to my room to it completely clean. I mean _clean_, clothes off the floor, drawers shut, _no clutter_, bed made, except the folded piece of paper on my bed.

_**Paul,  
**__**I hope you liked breakfast. I hope I didn't make too much, hope I made enough. I hope you liked it…  
**__**Anyway, you need to know why I came here last night. It was because needed to tell you guys that I'm leaving tonight.  
My mom is coming to pick me up and we're going to Arizona.  
**__**I'm so sorry that I'm leaving you a note but I have to leave now. I've got to pack my bags.  
**__**I'm sorry,  
-**__**Bella**_

"QUIL!" I shouted.

He came running up the stairs, still stuffing his face. "Whoa dude, what's wrong?"

"She came to tell us she was leaving?"

"Yes…" he murmured, looking sadly down at his shoes.

**Bella POV**

God.

God!

Fuck!

How could I do that? How could I just leave him a fucking note?

God.

I walked in the door to find Charlie waiting on the couch for me. He should have been in work.

"Where have you been?" he asked in a creepily calm voice. I knew that tone. And it scared the shit out of me. He threw a notebook at me, he actually threw it at me. "I've been worried sick!" he yelled.

_I was at Quil's. I needed some time to cool off. But you knew that. You called Quil last night. He told you that I'd be home later tonight._

"That may be, but I don't know what you were doing there!" he yelled.

_Uh, I slept and made breakfast. That's all I did there._

"Go to your room, you're grounded!" Charlie yelled. He turned a very peculiar shade of red very, very quickly, so I didn't argue it. I just went up to my room and started to pack my bags. I was done in only thirty minutes since I didn't have that many things. When I finally stopped and I had time to think about everything and what a big mistake I was making, I couldn't help but cry.

I heard scratching against my window and when I looked over, I saw Paul actually climbing into my room. The sight of him only made me cry harder and when he rushed over to me, I lost it. He wrapped me up in his arms and asked me, "What's wrong? Is this because of your mom that you're crying?"

I looked up at him and shook my head.

He got me a notebook and pencil.

_I'm crying because of you_

"What?" I didnt mean it the way he took it. Fuck, how can I explain to him?

_Because I have to leave here. I'm sorry._

"Listen, it's not like this will be the last time we'll see each other ever again. Right?"

I shook my head and let more tears flow down my cheeks.

_It might be and that's why I regret it_

"Regret what?" he whispered.

_I regret telling her to come get me. I have a feeling that this might be the last time I'll see you._

He wiped away my tears and whispered into my hair, "I'll make sure it's not. I promise."

It was a promise I hoped he could keep.

"Shit," he muttered. I gave him a questioning look. "Your dad. He's coming up the stairs."

_Closet_

He jumped up and rushed to the closet, shutting it quietly behind him.

Charlie knocked on the door three times and slowly opened it. He stepped in, took one look at me and said quietly, "Please try to stop crying. Jacob is here to see you." He stepped aside to let Jacob in and he disappeared quickly down the stairs after he closed the door behind him.

Jacob sniffed the air and growled. He actually growled. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he snarled, looking directly at my closet door.

Paul stepped out and quietly stated, "I was here to say goodbye to Bella, if you must know."

I wrote a note and quietly slipped it to Paul. He read it and climbed out the window.

"What was—" I grabbed Jacob by the arm and dragged him downstairs. When I opened the door, Charlie demanded to know what I was doing. "We were just going outside to talk Charlie."

**xxx**

"What do you mean you're going to Arizona? Tonight?"

_Be quiet! Charlie will hear you, Jackass._

"First of all, I'm not a jackass. Second of all, Charlie doesn't know?" he whisper/yelled.

_No. So shut the hell up about it._

He grabbed me up in a hug so tight that I couldn't breath. "God, I'm gonna miss you B."

We heard a loud howl and Jacob got a little panicked. "That's Sam. I don't know if I'll be back before you leave." Jacob turned to leave but turned back around and hugged me really tight once more. "Bella, you better text me when you're leaving or when your mom gets here. I'll figure something out, I'll come see you again before you leave."

I nodded and he ran into the woods. When I could no longer see him I turned to open the door and went up to my room. I couldn't stand it in there for long, so I raced downstairs and started baking cookies. I baked every kind of cookie I could think of. Charlie got pissed when I didn't let him 'sample' my creations.

_These are not for you. No touchy!_

"Who are they for Belly?" he said sadly.

_Not for you and that's all that matters!_

"Oh, come on! There's like, nine _million_ batches of cookies here. You can't spare your Papa just one?"

_First of all, there are only twelve batches, and while I'm on that, who the hell in their right mind only has ONE cookie sheet? How do you survive? But no I can't spare you any because they are not for you!_

"Who are they for then?"

_Quil. Can I go give them to him when I'm done?_

"Yeah, I suppose, but only if you give me a few." He said, eyeing the overflowing tray of cookies on the counter.

_Fine. And I can stay for a while and hang out with him?_

"Yeah, I guess."

He took one of each kind. And I started on the cupcakes.

Two hours later I was walking over to Quil's house. I knocked on the door but instead of Quil, Paul opened the door.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. I shoved the cookies and cupcakes at him, walked right into the kitchen and noticed how much food was left over from earlier. I raided the cabinets to find ingredients for brownies, and started mixing.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Paul whispered in my ear.

**So? what did you think? Yes, I'm sorry for being so late and even after I promised an update by the 17h. SORRY!**

**But you know the drill : review. For. The. Starving. Kittens. In. BOSTON!**


	7. Chapter 7 Complications

**This is somewhat of a special request from a reviewer, and I'm happy to do it. So… this is for you Lauren. I hope I don't disappoint you with a terrible chapter and for your birthday no less! I really hope you like this. And I'm sorry if this is filled with grammar errors. **

**Without A Sound Chapter Seven: Complications**

**BPOV**

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. I shoved the cookies and cupcakes at him, walked right into the kitchen and noticed how much food was left over from earlier. It was no good so I tossed it all. I raided the cabinets to find ingredients for brownies, and started mixing. "What, may I ask, are you doing?" Paul whispered in my ear.

_Brownies. Making brownies._

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then." He mumbled I felt bad; he didn't know what to do. I was completely distraught and he couldn't find a way to help, didn't know how. When I took the brownies out of the oven, I put them on the table with all the rest of my "stress goods." Jacob used to call them that. Whenever I get stressed I bake, cook, eat, whatever I can to get my mind off of it. I don't even know how much I cooked and baked last week.

Paul, I assumed, was in his room. I walked up the stairs to his room and it was slightly ajar. I stepped in quietly. He was sleeping. He looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake him but I knew I had precious few hours left with him. I shook his shoulder and his eyes snapped open, he looked around the room franticly. I touched his cheek and noticed he was so hot. I hoped he wasn't coming down with a fever or anything. "Are you okay? Whats…" I cut him off.

I couldn't _not_ kiss him at a time like this.

It was only a few seconds later when my phone rang. We broke away from each other and I checked my phone, I had a text from my mom.

_**My car just broke down, it will take me at least three more days to get there. Sorry  
-Mom**_

This brought a smile to my face. I mean, I was concerned for my mother and all, but this meant that I got three more days here, with Paul, with Quil, with Embry, and Jacob too if he wasn't too busy with Dragon Lady Leah.

_**Its okay mom. Don't worry. Love you  
-Bella**_

I looked over to Paul, who was now sitting up straight, staring at me in confusion and want. I just smiled wider and it was like "click" the light bulb went off in his head. He smiled big and bright and stood up. He grabbed my waist and lifted me up, spinning a few times. Still lifting me he asked, "Your staying for like at least a few more days right?" I nodded and he kissed me so passionately and so lovingly it made my head spin. My fingers tangled in his hair and he set me down, guiding me to the bed.

That's when the unthinkable happened.

I never thought it would happen, but it did and it was so much different than I thought it would be.

Better.

So much better than I thought.

I had this feeling, it's new and unknown but I liked it even though I don't know what it is.

**xXxXxX**

"I love you," he whispered in my ear. I turned my head to look in his eyes and simply nodded my head. We sat like that for a while, just staring in each other's eyes, the occasional soft kiss brightening the mood in the tiny kitchen.

By the time Quil came home I was almost done making dinner. Paul had driven me to the grocery store and I got ingredients for everything I think I've ever eaten. Once we were home, I started in on the kitchen. I wanted to make anything and everything I could. But I didn't, I had to limit myself to one meal tonight.

French onion soup, salad, grilled cheese sandwiches. Not the best thing ever, but it's a good thing I made a lot because Jacob, Sam, Jared, and Embry all came over just after Quil came home. Those boys eat like animals, I swear.

The good praises rang out across the nation for my cooking that night but all I could think about when Paul dropped me off was this new foreign emotion swelling up inside me when I was with him.

"Goodnight Bella." I leaned over the console between us and kissed him softly. I got out of the car and shut the door behind me and started walking towards the door. "I love you, Bella," he whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear him. I pretended like I didn't and kept on up the path, because I didn't have a response just yet. I didn't know what love was yet. How could I possibly? I didn't even know if I was capable of love. It didn't seem so.

I opened the door quietly and shut it just as quietly. I walked into the kitchen and there was a note on the table written in Charlie's chicken scratch.

_**Bella,**_

_**I need to talk to you when you get home. I'll be in my room. If I'm sleeping, wake me up anyway**_

_**-Dad**_

I walked up the stairs to Charlie's room where he was sitting up in bed, clearly waiting until I got home to tell me whatever it was that he had to tell me. "Listen, I need to talk to you." I waited for him. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say. "I want you to go to school tomorrow. I know you felt sick last week but you missed like a week of school and I don't want you to fall behind, okay?" I nodded. I knew it was coming. After that, I went to my room and I got dressed for bed.

**xXxXxX**

My dreams were filled with Paul.

They were filled with his scent, heavy, musky, forest and ocean, and boy. His voice, low and, rough and husky. His touch, rough and demanding, but sweet and soft at the same time. His face, his body, his essence. But most importantly his _love. _

That was the best part, his love.

**xXxXxX**

The next morning I opted to walk to school. I woke up at 5:30am, got ready for school, and ate breakfast and by 6:30 I was on my way.

Three blocks from my house Paul pulls up beside me and asks if I want a ride. I got in the car reluctantly after he and Quil reassure me multiple times that everything at school will be fine. Once we were at school I got really anxious. When Paul walked down the hallway with me, careful not to actually touch me because he somehow just _knew_ how I felt about that, I began to get more anxious if that was even possible. My thoughts were just everywhere because of this anxiety caused by everyone at our school acting like a bunch of grade school children.

_What are people going to think? What are people going to say? Why did I agree to this? Why is everyone staring at me? Jesus Christ I feel like Jessica fucking Alba, why won't they look at something else? Its nothing special people! Just two people walking down the hall! Jesus, if this is the reaction we get just by walking down the hall together I can't even imagine the reaction from people we'd get if we were _*gasp*_ holding hands! Did I really just think the word "gasp"? Wow, that is so incredibly sad. Jessica stupid Stanley if you ask me about ANYTHING in English I will kick your fucking ass, stop looking at me like that. I know you want all the fucking gossip. News flash: You aren't getting any from me! … I wish I had like telepathy or something, I would totally send her that mental message. Oh my god, if one more person gives me that em effing look, I swear I'm going to strangle them! Pick your jaws up off of the ground, pop your eyeballs back into your heads, and move on with your lives you fucking people!_

Of course the next person would be Edward fucking Cullen. _Asshole. _But his expression quickly changed from one of shock and astoundment to one of just pure rage and hatred. That rage and hatred was directed at me and only me. Normally I would be so terrified that I'd hide, I was still completely terrified but I knew Paul wouldn't let anything happen to took in Edward's expression and saw that he had picked up speed and was headed our way, he still hadn't broken eye contact with me. His face was turning a slight red and his eyes were getting so dark, almost black. It scared me even more because this was the same look he had given me that day in the library. It was too frightening, so frightening in fact, that I felt as though even Paul couldn't protect me from whatever Edward had up his sleeve.

He marches right up to us and says in the calmest voice he can manage, "What the fuck is this?" His tone alone was enough to give me goose bumps and make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I hid behind Paul in a not so discreet manner. Paul had no problem with it, but Edward did. "What do you think you're doing, protecting _her_ of all fucking people?"

Paul was now shaking and I by now knew that that meant he needed to calm down but before I could try to start to calm him down, he spoke up. Not to Edward, but to me. "Bella," he said. "I think you need to get to English" his voice rang with so much authority and finalization that even though I desperately _needed_ and _wanted_ to stay there with him to make sure he didn't fight or phase, I _had _to get on to class.

"No. I think she should stay for this, don't you?" There was something about Edward's tone that got my attention. I don't know why but I chanced a peek from behind Paul at him. I did not like what I saw. He didn't look as angry as before, but more so cocky and arrogant with that malicious little gleam in his eye.

"No I don't." Paul replied pointedly. "Bella," he said. "Go. To. Class." He ordered of me. I nodded even though he couldn't see and started towards my English class.

As I walked past Edward, he said to me, "I can't believe he's choosing you, another stupid little _bitch_!" This pissed me off. I might be little and I might be a bitch, but I would _never _be _stupid_. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. He quite enjoyed this. "Oh, does that make you angry?" I just stared up at him hopping that he could see every ounce of hatred I had stored up against him in my expression.

"Edward, stop it! Bella, go to class!" Paul demanded. But I couldn't move I was too angry. I mean, what right does he have to march up to us like we're doing something _wrong_? Why does he think that just because he thinks he handsome or whatever and has an inflated ego, that he can do whatever he wants and treat people however he wants to?

Still looking at me he said to Paul, "I think _Bella_ can make her own decisions, don't you?"

He shoved me into the lockers and started to threaten me with that menacing tone of his. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from—" by then Paul had ripped him away from me and had flung him across the hallway into a different set of lockers. Quil and Jacob were there in an instant to usher me outside, safe from all the testosterone fueled animosity going on just in that hallway. I really needed to be there to make sure he was okay. What if he gets seriously injured, it would be entirely my fault.

"Shit!" Quil exclaimed once we got outside.

"I know!" Jacob agreed.

I gave Jacob and Quil both pointed looks, shoved Quil near the door, and dragged Jacob over to his car. At this point I didn't care about people and what the fuck they would say or think. I searched his glove box for that notebook and pen I left in there just in case.

_What the fuck is going on?_

"Uh… isn't it obvious?"

_Shut the fuck up Jacob! You know what I mean. Why are they fighting?_

"Because Edward put his hands on you and Paul didn't like it? I mean you should have seen him last week after what he did to you. Paul didn't really like it then either, but I mean, we didn't get it at first but we know now. But I mean, that doesn't mean he didn't deserve it because he definitely– where are you going?"

I marched right back into the school, kids were gathering around them now. No teachers were on the scene yet, and I was determined to break it up before that happened. I had personally, never seen a real fight, up close and personal, but I expected them to be saying something to each other. I mean, in the fight scenes I had seen in movies they always talked shit to each other. But Paul and Edward, they were just fighting. Quil was _trying_ to stop the fight, but he was failing miserably. I had caught Quil's eye. I gave him a look and he immediately knew. He got in between them, dodging the punches being thrown and pushed at Edward until he had him shoved up against some lockers, where he talked to him, trying to calm him down and holding him back. Meanwhile, I tried to hold back Paul, which didn't work, but thankfully Jacob came and helped. Together we managed to get him outside. He was shaking really bad, I knew it was inevitable.

I looked up at Jacob, and gave him a pleading look. He knew what I needed from him. He nodded and pushed Paul far into the woods. Not too long after I heard howling, but I knew everything would be fine, everything _had_ to be fine.

**xXxXxX**

By English, pretty much everyone knew that the fight had happened, even most of the teachers, but they couldn't do anything because none of them saw it. I was relieved because I knew there no disciplinary actions would be put into affect. Everyone kept staring at me and asking me all sorts of questions, and I ignored them. I couldn't stop thinking about this morning and I couldn't help but to imagine what would happen during biology. None of it was good.

By lunch time I couldn't think straight. I went to the Nurse's office. She took one look at me, didn't even ask me what was wrong, didn't take my temperature, just looked my up and down once and wrote me a dismissal slip. I walked to Paul's house. He was sitting on the porch with Quil and Jacob, all of them shirtless for some reason. When he saw me he stood up and ran towards me, I ran too. I jumped up and he caught me and I wrapped my legs around his waist, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I jumped down and looked him over. They all laughed at me but I didn't care, I continued my search, I knew that he _had_ to have a mark or a bruise or at least a fucking _scratch_ somewhere on his body. I was going to find it. I ducked under his arm and started to look for anything on his back. He tuned around and pulled me close.

"Everything is fine. I'm fine, you're fine, and everything is going to be alright. See? Just breathe Bella, breathe." I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself. He picked me up and carried me into the house.

Countless hugs and kisses, 4 baked pans of lasagna, three batches of cookies, and four pans of brownies later, I had finally calmed down.

**XxXxXx**

**So? What did you all think? Yes I know, "Michelle, you haven't updated in for score and seven years you bitch!" (The exact words of my friend B.) I'm really so effing sorry, but my internet has been fucking up lately and also my grades were FUCKING TERRIBLE this quarter so my mom took away my computer privileges for I don't even know how long but I got to like the third paragraph when that happened and then the rest I finished in like three days. JUST FOR YOU! And this chapter was gonna go in a completely different direction but Lauren sent in a review saying she wanted Bella to stay for a little bit and it got me thinking , "What if this happened…..?" and bam, this chapter came to me faster than I could type it! so I hope you guys liked it and I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with it because I worked really hard on it so MUAH, love you guys and I will see ya next time!**

**Review for the starving kittens in Boston.**

**Xoxo **

**-Michelle**


	8. Chapter 8 Surprise

**Hello Lovely Readers! I know what you're thinking, "An update so soon? HOLY SHIT!" Yes, yes I know it's amazing that I ACTUALLY updated within a year. Holy shit. Well my friend B. beats me to make me update faster. Not even kidding you.**

**Without A Sound Chapter 8 **

Paul brought me home and Charlie was sitting on the couch.

"Why didn't you come home after you got dismissed today?" he asked in that scary calm tone that he sometimes gets.

I started to look around when I heard Paul's voice from behind me.

"She um, was looking after me sir. She got worried."Charlie stood up and walked over to where we stood. "Paul, Paul Ateara." He said, stepping forward to shake Charlie's hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said grabbing Paul's hand in one of those 'I'm so macho' handshakes. "I'm Charlie Swan. What happened son?"

"I uh, got in a fight today and Bella, I guess wanted to make sure I was okay." It was so cute! Paul got all shy and he looked down at the floor. Jesus, he was adorable.

Charlie and Paul sat on the couch bonding over a football game while I made steaks. I stayed put in the kitchen, I didn't want to know what they were talking about. When dinner was ready I plated everything and brought it to the table. I turned off the TV and they grumbled about it the whole way to the kitchen. While they ate I started making dessert.

Eventually Paul was ready to leave and I was ready for bed. I walked him to his car and he kissed me goodnight. I hoped Charlie hadn't been peeking through the window because I'd never hear the end of it. I could almost hear him giving me the 'sex talk' now. _'Isabella Marie Swan…'_

When I got back in the kitchen was empty so I just went up to my room. He was sitting on my bed with a notebook in his hand. "Bella, I want you to be truthful with me here. Is that boy your..." It seemed like he the word was caught in his throat, he couldn't spit it out. "b-boy- b-b-boyfriend?" I shook my head no. I mean Paul and I had never really discussed it though I'm pretty sure I could call him that considering. Charlie got red in the face, like he was embarrassed and walked out of my room.

Shortly after, I got dressed and brushed my teeth. When I got back got my room, I felt the need to lock my door. Just as I was about to fall asleep I heard this little 'tap tap' sound on my window. I got up and walked over to it. Paul was standing there I opened the window sleepily and sat on the edge of my bed. If I could climb in and out of my window so could he. Seconds later Paul climbed in and grabbed me up in a tight hug. He smelled so good, like forest and ocean, musk and spice and boy and I loved it.

"I need to tell you something." He whispered. "It's another legend that –" I had already fallen asleep by the time he finished his sentence.

I woke up in bed, wrapped up in two big, warm, strong arms. "You're finally up, huh?" Paul whispered into the cold, dark room. I nodded. "There's one more legend that I need to tell you because we think you and your family could be potentially in danger… we think that they're after you. We don't want you or your family to get hurt." I sat straight up and fumbled for my light. With the light on I could now look him in the eye. He sat up and handed me a notebook and pen. "Yow know, I can teach you sign. It'd be a hell of a lot easier." I didn't even know he knew sign. I nodded but grabbed the notebook from him.

_What legend?_

"The cold ones. That's what they're called in the legends, you and I would call them… _vampires_." He spat the word like it burned his tongue. This was quite curious, I mean vampires? No effing way. "You had no problem believing that we explode into giant wolves but you can't wrap your head about vampires?" he whispered disbelievingly. When he said it like that… "They're the only reason we exist. The only reason we are what we are." The look in his eyes, it was _heartbreaking_, I cried.

_What do the want with me? What do they want with my family?_

"We don't know, but we think they've been following you, we're just worried that –" Charlie started banging on the door.

"Bella! Time for school!"

Paul kissed me on the forehead and looked at the clock. **6:30**. "I'll be back to pick you up in forty-five minutes." He whispered as Charlie banged on the door again. "I love you." And with that he climbed out the window and he was gone.

I got up and opened the door to stop Charlie's incessant banging. "Why'd you lock the door?" I shrugged and pushed past him to the bathroom so I could take a shower and get ready for school. By the time I was out of the shower, Charlie had left for work. After getting dressed, doing my hair, and eating a quick breakfast, it was **7:15**. I heard a knock on the door. He was right on time. I grabbed my coat and walked out the door.

Paul of course was standing there but he was shaking so bad, I didn't know what was wrong and it scared me. "Bella it's not safe here, we gotta go." He grabbed my hand and led me to his car. Jacob and Quil were already in the back seat. Paul started the car and sped towards La Push. I turned to Jacob and Quil.

"They've been tracking down Charlie." Quil mumbled. Jacob nudged him in the ribs. "And you too…"

I couldn't breathe. Charlie was in danger because of me. And there was nothing I could do to get him out.

_Why are they after him?_

Paul spoke up this time. "Put your seatbelt on." He said sternly. I did as I was told and he sped even faster. We were well past La Push now.

"We don't know why they're after him." Jacob said softly.

"I do," Paul scoffed. "They want you Bella. That's why we're getting out of Washington. You need to get safe. I'm taking you to your mother's."

He was being irrational. Renée was on her way to Forks. He knew that.

_What is he talking about taking me to Renée's? She's on her way to Forks!_

"Yeah I know but Paul gets crazy sometimes." Quil mumbled.

"Shut the fuck up Quil!" Paul snapped.

_Taking me to Renée's won't do much good. I mean they would follow me straight to her right?_

"Paul, she's got a point." Jacob said tapping on his shoulder.

"What?" he sped up a little more.

"If we take her to Renée, they'll follow her right to her mother."

He slammed on the breaks. "Shit." He thought for a while and turned back to go to Forks. "Text Charlie. Tell him you got sick and I'm taking you back to my house." He ordered. I did ad I was told and texted my father.

**Charlie, I got sick so Paul is taking me home. Sorry.  
- Bella**

**WHAT? You are to come home this instant! I don't want you to be alone with that boy!  
- Charlie**

**Uhm. First of all I thought you liked him, and secondly I'm not alone with him.  
- Bella**

**Isabella Marie Swan! Don't you defy me!  
- Charlie**

**I think you're just afraid I'll leave you alone like mom did  
- Bella**

When Paul pulled up in front of his house Charlie was waiting there for me. I was afraid of what he'd say or do. Charlie got out of the car and stormed over to us. His face was reddish purple and I could see that vein in his forehead. He was so pissed. "ISABELLA MARIE SWAN! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to his police car. I felt like a criminal. "I can't believe you're here with that boy! YOU SKIPPED SCHOOL TO BE WITH THAT BOY!" he just kept repeating essentially the same thing the whole ride back. "How dare you Isabella! YOU WILL _NEVER _SEE HIM AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" All I could do was nod my head and hope he got the fuck over it. When we got home I ran up to my room. I texted Renée.

**Mom, how far away are you?  
- Bella**

**I'm back in Florida.  
- Renée**

**What? Why?  
- Bella**

**I can't afford to come get you right now. Give me a few weeks.  
- Renée **

**Mom I need you. I'm scared of him. You don't even understand. Since you left, he's been so angry and on edge. He's scary.  
- Bella**

**Just don't piss him off.  
- Renée**

**Thanks mom… Jesus Christ, what kind of advice is that?  
- Bella**

Charlie yelled some more before going back to work and I sat on my bed and cried. I decided that I needed to pack my bags. I had about six thousand dollars saved up, I could get an apartment somewhere in Seattle. I could stay with Jake, I would do something. Maybe I'd let those fucking vampires come get me. Whatever I was going to do, I had to figure out what that might be before he got back home. I started packing my bags and before I could get far Paul climbed in through my opened window. "What are you doing?" he asked. I just kept packing I didn't have time for this right now. I needed to pack my bags and get a move on.

"Where are you going?"

_Seattle_

"What?"

_Everyone here is in danger because of me I need to get away from here before someone gets hurt._

"Here, just let me take your bags back to my house and you can think on in. Okay?" he pleaded with me. It was like what he was really saying was _'Please don't leave, I wouldn't be able to bare it!'_

I nodded and we were on our way. I left Charlie a note.

_Charlie, I left to Seattle. I'm sorry_

When we got to Paul's house I made dinner and Sam, Seth, Leah, Jacob, Emily, Quil and a few other boys came over. So I made more food for them as well.

I leaned my head on Paul's shoulder sleepily when we were both done eating. Everyone else was still eating and talking and having a good time but I personally was exhausted.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" I yawned but shook my head no. I was having a good time. I didn't want to come back home to Charlie. "But you're so tired… And I think you need to talk to Charlie." Paul started and he was right so I didn't fight it when he picked me up and carried me outside. He ran inside really quick and emerged with a pen and a note book. He handed them to me as he searched his pockets for his keys.

I got in the passengers side and leaned my head against the window while Paul ran in again. I was asleep before he even got back.

"Bella…. Bella, wake up. Bella!" he shook me. "Damn, you're a heavy sleeper sometimes." When he got out of the car and opened the door on my side and leaned over with his arms outstretched to lift me that the cold night air woke me. I looked into his eyes a little confused. He pulled back and let his arms drop to his sides then he lifted one to offer me so I could get out. I just looked at it, looked back up at him and held my arms out with a little pout on my face. He looked down at me and smiled. He picked me up bridal style. "You're so cute when you pout, you know that?" he said walking me up to the house. I nodded and kissed him on the cheek. He set me down on the porch, leaned down and kissed me. "Do me a favor?" he asked.

I nodded my head 'yes' of course. I do anything he wanted or needed. God, I sounded like such a _girl_. It was sickening! But I couldn't help it, the more I was around him it seemed the more I needed him in my life. It was weird. But I would never change it and I would never give up this feeling I had.

He looked at me and got this intense look in his eyes. "Stay safe until I get back." He leaned in to kiss me but seemed to pause. He looked around sniffing occasionally. He looked as if he smelled something bad, I didn't smell anything.

He got this defensive aura about him. "Phone" he said through clenched teeth. I dug in my pocket and handed it to him. He dialed a number. "Jacob, get everyone and come to Bella's. They're here, or at least they were." I heard screaming from the other line but I couldn't make out what they were saying. "Have Seth take her to Emily." He listened for a few seconds and snapped the phone shut angrily. He started towards the house but I grabbed his hand. What was going on? He turned to look at me and his features softened considerably but he was still quite tense. "What is it Bella?" he asked, as if something were wrong. I grabbed the note book and pen and began to scribble out a note.

_What is going on?_

"I'll let you know later, okay?" he asked. I nodded. "I need your keys." I handed them to him and he opened the door. As soon as he opened the door I wished he hadn't. I saw red smears. Everywhere. I wanted to faint, I wanted to cry, I wanted to throw a tantrum, but I _needed_ to know where Charlie was. I ran upstairs before Paul could tell me to stay put. Every room upstairs was trashed including Charlie's. I ran across the hall to my room as I heard Paul barreling up the stairs calling my name. I had to see for myself. I swung my door open and my room was exactly how I left it. But there was a note folded on my bed next to my video camera. I put that in my closet last night.

_Give us the girl or we'll go after Renée next_

I opened up the camera and pressed play.

The first thing I heard off the tape was Charlie screaming in pain. I saw a pale woman with fiery red hair and deep red eyes crouching down next to him. She was laughing. "Where is she?" she demanded.

"She went to Seattle! I don't know!" he cried out while she stepped on his leg appearing to break it.

"Of course you know. She's your daughter! Stop lying to us! WHERE IS SHE!" She slapped him across the face and I couldn't breath I set the camera on the bed and pushed past Paul to get outside. On my way down was when I saw him. He was on the kitchen floor. His body was bloody, broken, and mangled. I couldn't bare it. I ran outside as fast as I could and Jacob caught me as I tried to run past him and the others. "You can't be out here on your own Bella." He said as he grabbed me up in a hug. I simply pointed at the door. They all rushed in and I heard lots of growling. Paul came running out and grabbed me up in the tightest hug. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in my ear. "But I have to go. We have to find those leaches! I'll come get you tonight okay?" I nodded and he let go of me.

"Seth!" I heard him call after he disappeared into the house. "Get your ass out there and take her to Emily's."

In a matter of seconds a shaking boy emerged. He was pretty tall and pretty tanned. Obviously. He had short black hair light brown eyes. He seemed to try and catch his breath and stop his shaking before looking at me. He grabbed my hand and dragged me over to Paul's car. He started the engine and he drove me to where I could only assume was Emily's house. "Listen," he said as we got out of the car. "Don't stare at her." He stormed into the house, leaving me behind. I walked slowly up to the porch where I was engulfed in a hug by a woman who was about my size and she had straight, sleek, black hair. She had almond shaped eyes and three long scars along her face. They didn't really matter though, she was still absolutely beautiful. I hugged her back and we stood like that out in the cold hugging each other literally until the boys got back.

"Okay, time to break it up ladies." I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Screw you Jared! She looked like she needed a hug!" she said, unwrapping her tiny arms from around me. I did the same.

"Well unless you're gonna start making out, its not the time for sharing and carin–" he was cut off by four large hands smacking him in the head.

Jacob spoke up next. "We called the police and they'll probably be swinging by to… ya know, whatever it is that they do."

That's when it sunk in that Charlie was _dead_. And the last time I saw him we were in a stupid fight. He died angry at me. The thought alone made me start crying again. He was dead and I'd never be able to apologize to him. He'd still be alive if it wasn't for me. God.

"Bella? Are you gonna be okay?" Jacob asked. I shook my head no. I would never be okay after seeing what I've seen and knowing all that I know. Nothing would ever be ok again. It would never be the same, and I'd always run away from it. I was always a great runner (metaphorically) and I'd always run from this point on. I knew that. "Do you want me to sit out here with you?" Jacob asked. I shook my head no.

_I need time alone to think_

Everyone, even Paul although reluctant went inside.

"Bella," I heard a silky smooth velvety voice calling my name from the woods. "Bella." It called again. I scanned the trees. I didn't see anyone. Suddenly someone's hand was resting on my shoulder. At first I thought it was Paul but the hand was so cold. I turned and felt something hit me in the head really hard and I fell to the ground.

The next thing I knew, I woke up tied to a chair with tape over my mouth which honestly, was completely unnecessary. I mean, come on!

"You finally up?" I heard that same velvety voice. It was smooth like honey. The woman suddenly appeared in front of me. It was the woman from the tape. With her red hair and red eyes and pale skin she was pure evil. "Tell me something Bella." She started sinisterly. "How much to you love Paul?" she walked over to the door and there he was. He appeared to be dead. He was still and unmoving, it didn't look like he was breathing, and he was very bloody. Tears streamed down my face as soon as I saw him lying there on the floor like that. "Ooooh! You love him enough that you cried in less then 3 seconds! That's good. For me anyway, not so much for you. Or Paul for that matter. You two will suffer. For a long time." I just looked at her like, 'What did I ever do to you?' "You don't know the story? I thought the big bad wolf here would have told you. I should have known better. You see Pauley here and the pack killed my mate, James. And now he's gonna watch as I bleed you dry. Or turn you. I'm not sure which would devastate him more. What do you think Laurant?" she asked. And suddenly a pale man with oliveish undertone and short black hair appeared in the blink of an eye.

"Wait what?" He asked looking at me. Like he couldn't concentrate on anything but me.

"What do you think will devastate Paul more? Us sucking her dry, or me turning her so he'd have to kill her?"

Laurant licked his lips and just stared at me like I was something to eat. "We should have a taste," he said taking a step toward me. The woman grabbed him by the shoulder.

"No! We've got to wait till he wakes up!"

**So? What did you think? Yes I'm an asshole for ending it here but B. punches me in the arm everyday I don't update. I've got a bruise the size of CONNECTICUT on my left arm. And plus I know what I want for the next few chapters. I've got it all planned out you see, but when does anything ever go the way I want? So yeah I had to end it here or it would have gone on for days. Anyway, I love you guys and I hope you like this and yeah, MUAH!**

**Xoxo**

**Michelle**

**REVIEW FOR THE STARVING KITTENS IN BOSTON! **

**(only if you want to…. I'm one of those people who are like 'I'll only update if I get reviews na na na.')**


	9. Chapter 9 Awakening

**Without a Sound Chapter 9**

"_What do you think will devastate Paul more? Us sucking her dry, or me turning her so he'd have to kill her himself?"_

_Laurant licked his lips and just stared at me like I was something to eat. "We should have a taste," he said taking a step toward me. The woman grabbed him by the shoulder._

"_No! We've got to wait till he wakes up!"_

"Paul!" she yelled trying to wake him. "Jesus Christ Laurant! How much did you give him?" she asked. God, they drugged him? Why would they go so far as to drug him? The woman slapped Paul across the face really hard. "WAKE UP!" He stirred a little and flinched when he saw that she was so close.

"Get the fuck away from me you reeking bitch!" he spat at her. He looked around a bit dazed and confused but then he spotted me tied to this chair. He snapped his head to look at her. "Let her go!" he growled at her.

"What are you gonna do about it wolf-boy? You can't phase." She giggled, mocking him.

"What the fuck are you talking about, I can't phase?"

"We've drugged you stupid." Laurant said.

"Laurnant, shut the fuck up! We've got what we want and what we need. But now the question is what to do with them…" She said.

"Victoria you're being stupid and revenge driven! I say we eat the girl and kill the dog."

"Revenge driven?" Paul asked from on the floor.

"You and your pack of pups killed James, my mate last week. So now you're gonna pay. Pay with either your love or your life," she said. Then she got a malicious gleam in her eye. "Maybe even both!"

"You crazy fucking bitch! We haven't killed any vampires in over a year"

She slapped him hard across the face. "WHAT?" she screamed.

Paul shook really hard. If he could phase he would have exploded into a giant angry ball of fur by now. He glared at her. Like, I mean if looks could kill she'd be a smoking pile of ash. In an instant she was standing in front of me. "Bella, it really sucks for you." I gave her a puzzled look. "We're not gonna turn you after all. I think I'm gonna bleed you dry right here, right now."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Laurant asked.

Victoria glowered at him. "NO!" she screeched. "SHE'S MINE! Go away if you can't handle this!" Laurant was gone in less that a second, I think.

With one last fleeting look towards Paul, she ripped my shirt, exposing my neck and shoved my head to one side.

I spent my last moments staring back into the love and hurt and anger in Paul's eyes. I mouthed 'I love you' to him with tears in my eyes, and that was the last thing I did.

***x*x*x**

**Paul POV**

Thank god I phased when I did. That leech would have killed her. I don't know how I did it because I had been trying ever since I woke up and saw Bella like that. They were careful not to beat her so hard she bled, but they beat her enough. Those fuckers.

The only thing now, was that I didn't know where we were and I didn't know where the nearest hospital was.

I heard a wolf and I thought it was Sam but I wasn't sure. I tried to phase but I was too weak. "HELP!" I screamed as loud as I could. I walked toward where I heard to sound with an unconscious Bella in my arms.

Sam came running through the woods to find me because I just kept yelling. I couldn't do anything else. Sam, Jacob, and Quil came running up. But by then I was so weak I could hardly stand. My legs gave out and I collapsed.

I fell unconscious.

***x*x*x**

**Bella POV**

I opened my eyes to the most blinding light. God, I had the worst headache. And my body hurt. I sat up and noticed a beeping. It was constant and incessant.

Oh fuck. I was in a hospital? I thought I was dead.

"Bella?" I heard. "Bella! Oh my god, you're awake!" Some over excited person exclaimed. I blinked against the light so that I could see and took in my surroundings. I was definitely in a hospital.

White walls, blue-ish sheets, slidey curtain thingy across the window, TV nailed to the wall. Yep, no doubt about it, I was in a hospital.

Jacob was sitting in a chair beside my bed. His face lit up. "You're awake!" He was so excited. "We didn't think you'd wake up so soon!" I gave him a questioning look. "You've been out for two weeks."

What did he just fucking say?

"Do you want me to get Paul? He'll be so excited. Sam made him go on patrol like three hours ago. I mean, he's been in this room since he recovered himself. He's been by your bedside for almost two weeks."

**So? What did you think? Yes I know, "It's so EFFING short Michelle! Don't be a bitch, write more you asshole!" Those were the exact words of my friend B. I'm sorry but this is all I could write and I want updates to be quicker especially since I probably won't update till after holiday break. So…. yeah.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I had to change some things that were in the end of the last chapter for the beginning of this one. Sorry. I needed to. You'll see why.**

**Without a Sound Chapter 10**

_Jacob was sitting in a chair beside my bed. His face lit up. "You're awake!" He was so excited. "We didn't think you would wake up. God, I'm so glad you're awake!" he gushed. I gave him a questioning look. "You've been out for five weeks." _

_What did he just fucking say?_

"_Do you want me to get Paul? He'll be so excited. Sam made him go on patrol like three hours ago. I mean, he's been in this room since he recovered himself. He's been by your bedside for almost four weeks."_

**X*X*X***

Jacob ran out of the room and I felt nauseous. The doctor came in and shut the door after Jacob had informed her that I was awake. "Ms. Swan, there is a serious issue that we need to discus." She said sternly. "How did you get hurt like that?" she handed me a note book. "Did your boyfriend beat you?"

I was horrified that she would even think something like that. I shook my head no.

"Then how did you get so badly injured?" she asked.

_I don't know. I honestly don't remember._

I couldn't very well tell her that vampires did it. I'd be locked up in the nuthouse forever if I did. "Well I'd like for you to check in in about eight weeks so that we can make sure everything is stable and OK." She walked out of the room and in rushed my mother.

"Oh my baby! You're awake! Oh I've missed you! I'm so sorry to hear about Charlie…" she kept talking and talking but I couldn't focus. All I could think about was that I had missed the funeral. "… and when I got here to surprise you and your father, Jacob told me that you were in the hospital and your father was…" she erupted into sobs and tears. And I couldn't keep my eyes open for much longer. I fell asleep soon after.

***X*X*X**

I woke up again but kept my eyes closed for a minute so that I could get used to the light. But quickly realized I didn't need to. There was hardly any light in the room as it was nighttime. My hand was extraordinarily hot. And that could only mean one thing. I looked over and Paul was sitting in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand. He was sleeping. I didn't want to but I shook his shoulder to wake him. His eyes opened lazily and he looked at me. Suddenly he got that gleam in his eye. He got up and hugged me so tight. "I thought you'd never wake up!" He kissed me on the forehead. "I'm so sorry, I should have protected you better…" I smacked his shoulder and pushed him away from me.

_Shut up. You couldn't have done anything differently._

"You could have died!" he whispered harshly.

_But I didn't, all because of you._

When I put it like that he couldn't argue with me and he knew it. He kissed me gently and my heart monitor went crazy. Then it stopped. He rushed to stop the kiss to make sure I was okay. I was but…

The nurse walked in and gave Paul a dirty look. "Are you okay honey?" I nodded and smiled warmly at her. She walked out and made it a point to leave to door wide open.

Paul and I laughed at her. Paul remembered something it seemed and got really sad as he sat back down into the chair.

_What is it?_

"Your mother really is taking you to Arizona. She's taking you tomorrow when you get discharged from here." WHAT? NO! I shook my head no. I couldn't leave, not now. I couldn't. I didn't want to. I need Paul, here with me.

What am I going to do? What _can_ I do?

Just as the thoughts raced through my head my mother walked in. "Oh Bella sweetie, you're awake!" She handed Paul the tray of food she carried and gave me a big hug. "Tomorrow I'm taking you home to Phoenix with me Belly. You need to get away from Forks for awhile." My eyes widened and I wanted to cry. I shook my head no and held my hand out for Paul. He of course held it but stayed right there in his seat. "What do you mean no? You're coming with me whether you like it or not and that's final!" she stormed out of the room and I cried. I didn't want to leave Forks. I loved it here and I knew Sam would make Paul stay here. I mean I'd probably never see him again after I leave. Just then we both heard a wolf howl. I knew that meant he had to leave so I let go of his hand and he left the room.

I ate everything on the tray of food and then fell asleep.

***x*x*x**

I woke up and Renée was in the room with me. She said, "Come on baby, get dressed! You're all set to leave," happily. I wanted to hurl. I got clothes on and left with my mother. She drove us to the house and Paul was on the front porch. Renée stayed in the car and handed me a notebook. "Go talk to him baby. And get your things from your room. Everything is all packed. You just have to bring it all out. I'll wait right here for you."

I walked up to him and he hugged me tight. I breathed in his scent and I knew he was doing the same. I was trying to commit it to memory. I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the house. "Bella, I have something I need to say." I stared up into his eyes. I was listening. But he just stared back for several minutes. I flipped open my note book to a clean page.

_What is it that you have to tell me?_

"That I love you and I'll miss you and I don't want you to go and I don't want to let you leave and I'm sorry and I wish I could just whisk you up and take you away like they do in the movies when situations like this arise and I'll never forget you and I hope you never forget me," he said all in one breath.

It brought a tear to my eye and I kissed him long and hard, for his speech had moved me and made me emotional.

_I'm sorry too. I wish I didn't have to go either and you promised me it wouldn't be the last time we see each other. Remember? Keep your promise. I love you_

He ripped out the page and folded it so he could tuck it in his pocket. "I love you." I nodded and kissed him again.

We broke away and went up to my room to get my bags. We carried most of it out in one trip to the car. Only a few bags lingered in my room. When I ran back up Paul was already carrying five bags down the stairs. "Wait for me up there." He said. I just gave him a questioning look. "Please?" he pleaded with me.

With a huff, I marched upstairs and sat on my bed. This room, my room, it was so _empty_ the only things here were my bed, nightstand, dresser and vanity. I would miss it here so much. I would miss my father so much. Even in my head I sounded wrong for thinking it, but I'd miss Paul and the pack most of all. I mean, how could I miss them more that my own father? But I would, I knew I would. That was so fucked but it was true.

I didn't notice Paul walk in. I didn't even notice him sit down on the bed beside me. He pulled me out of my reverie when he shook my shoulder trying to get my attention. "Bella!" I looked over to him and he looked quite worried. "What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, tucking a section of hair behind my ear. I just shook my head and waited for him to do or say whatever it was that he clearly had to say. I got this worried/scared look in his eyes as he got up paced the room.

"Bella, you know I love you?" he asked, and I nodded. "And you love me." It wasn't a question, like he was just stating a random stupid fact like 'the sky is blue' or something. I nodded. I didn't know what he was getting at. In two steps he was standing in front of me. He grabbed me up in a big hug. "I don't want to let you leave and I'm not going to. You know that, right?" I nodded, he let me go. He got down on one knee and I almost hurled. I felt sick, but in a good way. "I know I haven't known you long but I know that I love you and I know I just can't give you up." He said looking deep in my eyes. "Isabella Marie Swan?" I tried to hold back the tears that were trying to force their way out from my eyes. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box. The sight made me cry tears of joy. They slid down my cheeks and I tried to wipe them away but I realized I didn't want to, I was happy. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He paused just to stare into my eyes and I nodded, lost in the incredible depth of his big brown eyes. "Will you marry me?" he opened the box and looked up at me expectantly.

The ring was gorgeous. And Jesus was it huge. **(Link on my profile)** It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes on. It was a princess cut solitaire ring with two eternity bands. He had been talking with my mother. But God, it was beautiful. Just like the man in front of me holding the ring.

I nodded my head enthusiastically and he slid the ring on my finger. I heard a click and saw a flash of light. I didn't even need to look. I knew it was Renée taking a picture. "Oh! You guys look so cute! Come look!" I heard her say. Paul stood up and kissed me so passionately and so lovingly I found it hard to remember that my mother was in the room. My leg came up and wrapped around his waist and he grabbed my thigh pulling me closer, I pulled his hair. My mother obnoxiously cleared her throat. We broke away and he whispered, "I love you" in my ear before muttering a sorry to Renée. We heard a wolf howl and Paul looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I've got to go." Renée walked out of the room before Paul. I heard him run down the stairs. I waited until I heard my mother shut the door before I sat on my bed and cried.

He was so stupid! How could he do this to me? How could he just propose to me knowing I was leaving Forks, probably forever, and then just leave me like that? I might never see him again and I'd always have this huge fucking rock on my hand to remind me. I heard Renée's car peel out of the driveway and I cried even more. Eventually I fell asleep.

**xxx **

"Wake up Bella." My mother whispered. I woke and opened my eyes but couldn't see. I soon realized I was blindfolded. I reached up to take the stupid thing off but my Renée slapped my hand away. "We're here. But I don't want you to see it quite yet." When Renée gets like this, there's really no stopping her. You just let her do whatever she's mindset on doing. That's just the way she was. So I played along with her. I let her lead me into the house and I let her lead me upstairs into a room that smelled painfully of spice and ocean and boy. It reminded me of Paul so much. I felt a tug in the back of the blindfold and I clenched my eyes shut until I heard it fall to the floor. It was a nice cozy looking room. "Take a look around baby!" she said. I was clearly standing in a bedroom. All my things were unpacked in here and the bed was huge. I didn't need a bed that big. The bed had a black and white cover and the carpet was black, while the tile and walls were white. It was essentially my room from back home but bigger. I took a look in the other rooms upstairs. They were pretty plain; we'd have to do some redecorating. Downstairs the kitchen was gorgeous. The big Kenmore refrigerator was all I saw before I fell in love with our kitchen. It was one of those tall ones with the side by side doors for the freezer and the fridge. I was silver and it had an ice thingy on one of the doors. The kitchen was like the size of our old living room dining room and kitchen combined. There was a huge island in the middle of the room and the counters were granite and even the sink was gorgeous. There was a huge TV in the living room, nice sofa. Other than that the rest of the house seemed pretty regular.

Renée's phone rang and she drifted into the kitchen talking to whoever it was that had called her. "Hey Bella, You wanna come outside and see the outside?" she asked. I nodded and followed her outside. I didn't really care anymore. I just wanted to sink in a hole and die because I didn't have Paul and I'd probably never see him again. And I missed him terribly. Renée dragged me out by my arm. "Close your eyes!" she ordered gleefully. I did what she said and she continued to drag me around then she stopped and let go of my arm. "Keep em closed young lady." I heard he walk away and soon I heard her footsteps come back. Closer and closer they got until she was right behind me. I felt two hot arms wrap around my waist and I knew it wasn't my mom. I didn't even have to open my eyes. It was Paul.

"Open." He whispered. I opened them and looked at the beautiful house before me. "It's ours." He said spinning me around so I was facing him. I kissed him sweetly and I saw another flash and heard another "Awe!" come from Renée. He looked down at me and his eyes shone with all his love for me and I kissed him again. He pulled away from me. "And this," he said dragging me out back to the garage. "is for you." He said as the most amazing car came into view. It was a black 1963 Chevy Impala. God, I've wanted one of these since I was like 10! Everyone came pouring into the tiny space. Jacob, Sam, Seth, Quil, Embry, Jared, Emily, and my mom shouted, "Happy early birthday!" I smiled and I couldn't even get upset when they dragged me back inside and had a birthday/house warming party. I actually enjoyed myself. And not just because Paul was with me and not just because I was overflowing with joy because of my engagement, but because I was surrounded by people who loved me and whom I loved back.

When the guests left, I started to clean up. I walked my mom to her car and thanked her. "Hey listen; I'd do anything for you. I love you." She said and she hugged me.

I walked back up the pathway to _my new house_ and saw Paul washing dishes. It was so cute.

Mom had left the camera on the table so I picked it up and snapped a picture of him. He laughed out loud. "Kodak moment, huh?" he asked. I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his middle and just breathed him in. He finished shortly after and turned so he could wrap me in his arms. I had never felt so safe in my life.

**So? What did you think? Yeah I know its short but I thought it was very detailed and powerful even though it was short. Tell me what you think in a review. I love ya'll and I love seeing your reviews.**

**Review for the starving kittens in Boston!**

**xoxo**

**Michelle**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yo, I have a poll on my profile, so before/after you read this chapter, go and vote! **

**Without A Sound Chapter 11**

**THE NEXT MORNING**

I woke wrapped up in Paul's arms. I sighed contentedly when I felt his hot lips on my neck. "I love you." He whispered. "I love you so much." He kissed my neck again. After a little more of that, he rolled over and went back to sleep. I figured that I'd go and make breakfast. I put on a pot of coffee and started to mix together pancake batter. I turned the burner on the stove all the way up and threw some butter in the pan. I felt like such a girl but yes, I made _heart shaped pancakes. _Yes, heart shaped. While I was plating then and putting butter and syrup on them, I took more time to admire my ring.

God, it was beautiful! I didn't know how he could have possibly done all this. I mean, the ring, the house, the car? How did he do it all? But that was neither here nor there because I was fucking engaged!

Paul came down the stairs and chuckled nervously when he saw that I was cooking. "What's wrong?" he asked, his anxiety showing through.

_Nothing. I just wanted to make you breakfast._

"Oh, okay." He let out a sigh of relief.

He sat down and started eating while I poured him a cup of coffee. "So are you excited to go back to school tomorrow?"

Just the thought of it made me sick.

I was feeling sick a lot lately.

I shook my head and sat down at the table.

"Can you just try to go back to school? Just for one day so that you can get that make up work from those five weeks you were out. If you don't make it up you know you won't graduate next year." He said with that apologetic look in his eyes. I nodded because I knew he was right. I sipped my coffee and watched him eat.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" he asked. I shook my head no. I wasn't hungry.

"You sure?"

I nodded.

Paul's cell phone rang and he raced upstairs to go get it. He came down stairs shaking and looking so angry and hurt. I jumped up and rushed to hug him. His arms wrapped around my waist while mine wrapped around his neck. "Those leaches are at your old house. They want you to come back." He said staring at the wall. I shook my head and hugged him tighter. How could he even think like that? I couldn't go back there.

Staring in my eyes with hurt and promise and anger locked in his gaze he said, "They've got Renée."

My eyes widened and I looked to him hoping he'd know what to do. "She said if I come, she'll kill her."

Just then my phone rang. I looked to the collar I'd and it said Renée. I didn't understand. I answered it but handed the phone to Paul. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hello Renée. If you don't mind me asking, where are you?" He got a shocked, relieved look on his face. 'She's in Arizona' he mouthed.

Jesus.

"Okay. I'll tell her. Bye." He grabbed me up in a hug.

"She said she loves you and she misses you already… and not to have too much 'fun' here with me." He kissed me and then called Jacob.

"Meet me at Bella's old place. Don't ask questions just fucking do it."

He looked at me with so much love and intensity in his eyes, grabbed my hand and dragged me out the door.

**XxXxXx**

Why am I the fucking bait?

Why did I agree to this?

God!

I took a deep breath before unlocking the door.

The house had been cleaned up nice but I didn't let that distract me.

"Bella, how nice of you to come," I heard from behind me. She placed an ice cold hand on my shoulder and flung me across the room. Sure I was scared but I knew I was safe. Paul and Jake and Quil were right outside.

"Bella, Bella were are you?" I heard my mom say. I can't believe they actually had her. I scanned the room for her but she wasn't there. "Bella!" I heard again.

"There you are!" I didn't see her still. Where could she possibly be?

Laurant came sauntering into the room as he turned to the TV. I hadn't noticed it was on.

He opened up the doors to the entertainment center to reveal on old home movie. I recognized it well. It was from back when I took ballet lessons.

I felt so stupid for being so easy to trick. So gullible. So human.

"Stupid girl, we don't even know where your mother is."

I got up off the floor and looked her in the face.

"Oh, someone's brave Victoria." Laurant said in a sarcastic manner.

"Let's se how brave she is when I kill her!" She screeched and lurched towards me. I was getting scared now; I mean where were the guys?

I heard a howl and suddenly all three of them burst in the door.

Jacob and Paul got Victoria and Quil got on Laurant.

I ran out of the house because I couldn't watch and I needed fresh air. They came out dragging body parts with them and they phased back to set what remained of the two vampires on fire. There was this think purple smoke coming from the fire and I realized that it was all finally over.

As if he could hear my thoughts, Paul held me close and whispered in my ear, "It's over now. You're safe now. I'm here."

**XxXxXx**

Home at last, I thought when we walked in the door.

I needed to bake something.

Suddenly I was so ready for school tomorrow. It was so simple there, but out here…

**xxXxXxx**

That night, when Paul fell asleep I snuck out if bed and crept into the kitchen. I baked until I though our kitchen might explode. And it almost did. There was so much baked goods that I had to put stuff out in the living room, no more would fit on the table, chairs, counters, even in the sink. And I stacked and stacked and stacked.

When I was finally all baked out, I started the climb back upstairs. No sooner did I step foot into the bedroom did the alarm go off.

Today would be a long day.

Paul reached over and sleepily smacked at the alarm clock till it shut the hell up and leaned over, trying to get something on the other side of the bed. With his eyes still closed he continued his search until he became panicked. His eyes snapped open and he was truly worry personified. That is, until he saw me standing in the doorway.

"Why are you all the way over there?" he asked sleepily.

I shrugged and walked over the dresser near the window. I started to pick out clothes to ware when I felt two warm arms snake around my waist. I felt hot lips on my neck. I loved it. I turned around so that I could kiss him. And boy, did I ever.

I got showered and dressed quickly so that I could still make breakfast. Paul had gotten dressed but plopped back into bed. I shook his shoulder and he simply grabbed me by the waist and pulled me onto the bed with him. "Bella, it's only five o'clock. Can't we just sleep for another hour?" he asked me, eyes still closed. I ran my hand across his cheek, hoping he'd open his eyes. He did. I shook my head and jumped up off the bed to run downstairs so that I could make breakfast.

Boy, did I make breakfast. I took me an hour but it came out smelling wonderful and I was sure it would taste just as well. Paul came down the stairs all cheery eyed. "Mmm. What smells so good Be—" he froze when he saw all the piles of baked goods in the kitchen and the living room.

With a worried expression and a distressed tone he asked, "What's wrong?" I shrugged because honestly, I didn't want him to know. I just wanted him to think I simply couldn't sleep. I didn't want to stress him. "Okay…" he said narrowing his eyes, trying to read me. I was an open book. He would know everything he needed to in time.

I cleared off two chairs and put the baking out on the couch with the rest of it.

Paul still stood in the doorway, looking as if he didn't know what to do. I grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the table. I didn't just spend all that time making breakfast for nothing. He sat but refused to eat until I told him what was wrong.

_There nothing wrong. If there was, I'd tell you. Now will you just fucking eat already?_

"Sorry."

**xxXxXxx**

There was a knock at the door and I got up to answer it. Jake and Quil here and I invited them in for breakfast.

I was worried about what my first day back at school would be like. But all my worries were dispelled when u walked in. I knew I could handle it. I mean, if I could get through a vampire attack, I get through one day of school.

Right?

We got there earlier than we expected so we went our separate ways because it wouldn't be a problem.

In English class, everyone was worried for me. Everyone was asking what happened to me and how sorry they were about Charlie. I lied and said, I just need some time to grieve.

By lunch I couldn't think straight. I had so much work that I needed to make up. And the day was only half over.

Joy.

I skipped lunch and sat outside to get started on my homework.

I phone buzzed and I checked it to see who texted me.

**B where r you?  
****-Jacob**

**Bench outside doing hw  
****-Bella**

**Y?  
****-Bella**

**Ur not in th library. I miss u. :(  
****-Jacob**

**U could always come outside ya kno…  
****-Bella**

Two minutes later, Jake and Quil came outside to see me.

"What are you doing Bella?" Jacob asked. I just pointed to my math book and got back to work.

We were all silent for a while. Then my book was snatched away from me and I was being slid across the bench by two strong warm arms.

I could help but to smile.

"No homework for you. Eat." He ordered of me, sliding a slice of pizza in front of me as he lifted me onto his lap. I shook my head and tried to get my book away from him. "Please? Just eat like half of it. Then I'll give you your book back." His breath was hot on my neck and it sent shivers down my spine.

I ate the entire slice just so that he could stop worrying and then I continued my homework while the boys talked about whatever it is that boys talk about. I wasn't really paying attention.

We heard the bell ring and Paul walked me to Biology. "I love you." I nodded and went to my seat. It was weird the effect he had on me. I couldn't concentrate on class, I was thinking too much of him.

I felt someone shake my arm and I turned my head to see Edward, but he didn't look evil or angry or anything. He looked… nice? Oh the world was going crazy. "You should get started…" What the fuck is he talking about? Get started doing what?

"You can copy off mine if you want…" Invoulentarily I gave him a 'wtf' look because I didn't know what he was talking about.

_I don't know what you're talking about…_

"You wouldn't. You've been drawing hearts on your papers since class started… And I did your part of the work for the lab we got assigned today."

_Sorry._

"It's ok. But try to focus?" He asked, and he asked fucking _sweetly?_

_No offence but uh, what's up with you? Normally you're an asshole, not that I'm asking you to be an asshole but… just wondering…_

"Life's too short to act like a child all the time, I mean I'm really sorry that I was such as asshole to you before but it was only because I didn't know how to handle you." He said sliding his paper over to me so I could copy.

_Handle me?_

"You were always ever the only unattainable girl in town. And it didn't seem fair so I guess I just got so angry at you—at that fact that I started acting the way I did to you. And I'm sorry." I didn't trust him and I definitely didn't know what the fuck he was up to but I wouldn't let him fool me. The bell rang and I got the extra work from Mr. Banner that I needed and headed to gym.

After class let out I texted Jacob.

**I have to stay after with coach Clapp because of my absences…  
****-Bella**

**That sucks. For how long?  
****-Jacob**

**For however long it takes me to jog 40 laps.  
****-Bella**

**Goddamn  
****-Jacob**

**Tell me about it  
****-Bella **

It took me almost three hours but I did it and when I stepped outside to get some fresh air I heard bickering between my Jacob, yes, _my Jacob_, and some of the football team.

I tried to listen but before I heard much I was being picked up from behind by someone. I kicked and thrashed but it was useless, he was too strong. He was no doubt someone on the football team. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little eavesdropper." He called out.

I didn't see Paul so it kind of scared me because I didn't know what would happen now. I mean, I love Jake, but he had a track record of just watching while shit went down that he could have stopped. I hoped this wouldn't be one of the times.

The boy threw me down to the ground before the boys and asked, "What did you hear?"

I shook my head because I didn't really hear anything.

"You're a liar!" he sneered. I tried to get to my feet but he pushed me back down.

"Emmet, dude, just leave her alone. She didn't do anything." Jacob surprisingly, came to my defense.

"Shut the fuck up Jacob, you don't run shit, I do!" he said as he pushed Jacob into two other boys ad they held him back.

This couldn't be good.

Emmet turned back to me and smiled a wicked little smile that gave me goose bumps. It was like he was Edwards apprentice or some shit. He grabbed me by the shirt and lifted me off the ground. "Now tell me what I want to hear and you won't get hurt."

"Emmet! Stop!" Jacob yelled.

"Jacob, shut the fuck up, I'm just having a little fun with her." He laughed as he let me go. I took the opportunity to run. And I ran as fast as I could. I didn't even know where I was running to, I just let my feet carry me.

"Shit!" I heart Emmet yell. "Well, fucking go!" he screamed, to the other boys I assumed.

I was fast but I knew I wasn't fast enough to outrun them for long. I got to the big double doors and ran inside the main building as fast as I could.

"Shit, she fast!" I heard one of them call out to the others. At this point I knew I was screwed because no one was here this late. Even the janitors had gone home by now. I don't know why but I turned towards the cafeteria. Quil and Paul were walking out when I bumped into them.

"What's wrong?" they asked. I didn't even have to do anything. The voices in the hallway were enough.

I hid behind Quil as two of the footballers approached the cafeteria. Emmet saw Paul and Quil and asked calmly, "Have you seen a really fast girl run by?" I tried not to breathe so that he wouldn't hear me.

"Nah dude. Sorry."Quil said. Paul was too busy shaking in anger to say anything. They went running back down the hallway and I let out my breath and practically started hyperventilating.

"Are you okay?" I shook my head. Paul started to reach for me but I shoved his hands away and started walking down the hallway. I just wanted to go home.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" I heard Jacob scream. It was stupid of me to run _towards_ the commotion, but I didn't think. Just reacted. I rushed outside to see all of them just wailing on him. I wanted to scream. I managed to rip one of them off of him and started in on another before the ganged up on me.

"You're a dumb bitch you know that? You should have stayed lost." One boy said as two others held me back. He pulled back his fist but was ambushed by Paul and Quil before he could hit me.

"What the _fuck_ are you guys doing to them?" Quil yelled.

Everyone stopped. "Jacob is your teammate! And you're beating the shit out of him, and for what?" He looked around, reasoning with the boys. "And she," he pointed at me. "What could she have possibly done that could make you go so far as to _hitting a female?_"

Emmet spoke up, or started to at least. "She was fucking—" Paul punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Shut the fuck up." He growled.

The football boys scattered and only me, Quil, Jacob, and Paul were left. I got up off the ground to help Jacob up.

I offered him my hand and he took it gladly and pulled me into a tight hug. "Thanks Bells. You were really brave out there."

We all got in the car and for a while no one said anything foe a while.

"Will someone tell me what the fuck just happened?" Paul asked when we were at a red light.

"Well…" Jacob started.

**xxXxXxx**

"What the fuck is up with people lately?" Quil asked in astonishment.

We were getting close to the grocery store and I nudged Jacob in the ribs. "Hey, can we stop at the store?" he asked for me.

When we got home I had to move all of the stuff I baked last night into the living room. I needed all the space in the kitchen tonight.

Six hours later, after everyone ate and Quil and Jacob left, I was still cooking and baking. "Bella, you've got to deal with this in a different way. Who is going to eat all of this baking?" he whispered in my ear. I was touched that he worried for me but he needed to get away from me. I need my alone time with my cookies and cakes.

I dug in my backpack and pulled out a flier for "Kids In Need Charity Annual Bake Sale" and shoved it at him so he'd let me bake in peace. He walked upstairs all morose and sulky and it made me feel horrible. I finished up the last batch of brownies that was in the oven and ran upstairs to him.

He sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He hadn't even noticed when I walked in the door. Hurt and shame instantly coursed through my veins like nothing I had ever felt before. I wanted to die seeing him there like that.

I had to make it up to him.

I walked over and leaned down to him so I could kiss him. He gripped my by the middle and practically pulled me into his lap. I pulled back and looked down at him apologetically. He nodded and continued to kiss me.

He pulled me up higher on the bed and…

Someone knocked on the door.

I started to pull back but he stopped me.

"Leave it." he said as he went for my neck.

The knocking turned to banging which turned incessant. "Ugh!" he got up and asked me to stay here. I had no problem with that.

"Bella, I've got to go. I'll be back tonight!" he yelled up the stairs.

**So? What did ya think? This week B told me, "You giant COCKBLOCK! Don't be an asshole Michelle! And you're such a bitch for that fight scene! There was no reason for that! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE EMMET DO THAT! Bitch…." **

**Anyway, sorry if I disappointed anyone with this but yeah… I just wanted to update real quick and stuff cuz report cards are coming soon and I don't think my grades with be that great. And we all know that means no computer. So yeah… I love you guys. I hope ya'll had a happy and safe new years celebration. **

**xx Michelle**

**Review for the starving kittens in Boston. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Without A Sound 12**

**So, there was a question raised last chapter about how Jake could get hurt when he's a werewolf? Werewolves can get hurt, they just heal fast. I was just trying to go by what's in the book, lol. And also, Jake never helped her before because as previously mentioned in the other chapters, Bella would have killed him. **

**I've also changed the rating to M because of language and violence (and maybe a little sex in future chapters). **

**Oh, and go vote in the poll on my profile. I'll leave the poll up until, February 1st. So go vote. **

**On with the chapter!**

**(AN: this is like two weeks after the last chapter ended. And also, I'm not going to lie, there are parts of this chapter like the dream that are pretty disturbing, I'm sorry.)**

When Paul left again tonight, I just wanted someone to be around. I felt alone and I didn't want to be alone for too long.

**Hey, what are you doing?  
- Bella**

**Nothing, why?  
- Jacob**

**Can you come over? I don't want to be alone here…  
- Bella**

**No problem, I'll be right over.  
- Jacob.**

While I waited, I got out my old sketchbook and started to etch out what had been on my mind. It had been bothering me for days. I haven't been able to sleep, I can't eat, hell, I can't even think straight anymore. And Paul's been starting to notice. I don't know how much longer I can keep this from him.

I've been having nightmares.

Really bad nightmares about Victoria and Laurant and other vampires.

They're all the same.

**xxXxXxx**

_I get a call late at night when Paul is off on patrol from a man with a hypnotic voice. He tells me to go outside to the woods and wait for him or else. Of course I go outside and wait for him and of course he appears out of nowhere. His cold flesh freezes my skin as he drags me through the forest to a little cabin in the middle of the woods. He doesn't say anything as we travel there._

_I never really get a good look at him until we get there and he locks me up in a room with himself and three other beautiful people with pale white skin and red eyes. The room reeks of death and blood. I hear a howl in the distance. They all, the four people, leap out the window and soon after, I hear growling and yelping and this awful metallic screeching. Three out the four come back with an animal carcass. Clearly the poor thing was dead or at least close to it. I think it's a wolf. When I look closer at it, I think it's_ _**my**_ _wolf. But I wasn't sure. It was all limp but kind of twitching a little bit. They throw it to the floor at my feet and it yelps so loud. He's in so much pain. I just want to cry. He picks his head up off the floor and looks me in the eye with so much __**anger and hatred,**_ _he_ _couldn't me my Paul. It just_ _**couldn't.**_

_But it was. And without even phasing, he starts talking to me. "I never loved you!" I was taken aback. "Now I'm dying and it's all your fault! I hope these fucking leeches kill you nice and slow!" The big grey beast yells at me. I looked up and the vampires were gone, only Paul remained. I didn't know what I could have possibly done to make him hate me so much. To hear that from the only thing I've ever loved, it broke my heart into a million pieces. I wanted to die, right then and there. I wish the vampires would come back just so that they can put me out of my misery. Nothing in the world that they could do to me could be more painful than this. He growled at me and tried to stand up but he was too weak. "If I was strong enough I'd kill you were you stand!" the wolf spat out at me. _

_How could he say that? I mean, he loved me, and I loved him. To have him act this way, to say these things so me, it was like someone punched a gaping hole in my chest, yanked my heart out, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it until it was unrecognizable. I fell to my knees. There was so much pain in my chest, I couldn't even breathe._

_The vampires rush back in and take Paul to the far side of the room. He snapped and growled and them, but they proceeded to beat the shit out of him until I couldn't even tell if he was breathing anymore. I cry even more, and the pain in my chest intensifies, if that's even possible. They all bend down to him and sink their teeth into his flesh and he yelped loudly in pain. Before I could even get up to __**try **__to help him, they were done and he was dead. "Goodbye pup." Victoria snickered, wiping his blood off her face. "He was an eternal pain in my ass," she muttered. It was like when he died, my soul died with him. I couldn't bare the pain anymore. _

_I wish they would kill me already._

_One of the vampires laughs at me. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Silly girl, we're not gonna kill you yet." He said. He knew I wanted to die so badly, it was like he could read my mind. He was tall; he had pale skin, red eyes, he had reddish brown hair, and a wicked smile playing at his lips. Just by his expression, I knew I was going to go through hell before they finally just killed me._

"_Yes Bella, I can read minds, and I'd like to honestly say, I've never seen someone want death so much before physical pain was even inflicted." He smirked at me. "Congratulations," he laughed, sarcastically. _

"_Jesus Christ, JUST FUCKING KILL HER ALREADY!" Victoria screamed."That's why we're here!" She runs over to me and throws me against the wall. But my face smashed against the window on my way down. I heard glass shatter, and I inwardly smiled. I felt the warm sticky blood trickle down my face as the glass sank deeper into my skin. When I fell to the ground my body didn't even hurt as much as my heart. I laughed. This was all she had? This was weak._

"_What the fuck is she laughing at?" she asks the mind reader._

"_You're not hurting her enough. She wants more. Se wants to know if that's the best you got." He whispers in astonishment._

"_WHAT?" she screeches. "You want more?" she yells. She flies over to me and kicks me and punches me until I can't move. She beats me until I'm sure every bone in my body is broken. Until my body is just as broken as my spirit, my heart, my soul. But it doesn't hurt half as much as the rest. The physical pain was excruciating but the emotional pain from what the wolf had said was infinitely more worse. His words kept playing over and over in my head until I wanted to pour bleach in my brain to make it stop. I could deal with the beatings. What I couldn't deal with, is the trauma of losing the only thing that I have ever loved in such a horrible way and before you can make up whatever you did, watch as the life is being literally sucked from them. That's the worst thing I will ever experience, I know it. And it keeps playing in HD on repeat. Every time I close my eyes, I can see it play out again and again. Victoria could beat me until forever but I'm sure it will never hurt as much._

"_Victoria, you'll never hurt here enough. You'll never hurt her as much as the mangy mutt did. Just give up." The mind reader said to her as he pulled her away from me._

"_What do you mean?" she inquires in astoundment._

"_He held her heart in his hands and he squeezed it until there was nothing left. You will never be able to hurt her like that Victoria. _**Never**_."_

_They all were in front of me in an instant. I smiled. I knew, I knew it was soon to be over. If they weren't done with me soon, I have lost so much blood it was only a matter of time before I die anyway._

_The one other vampire who hadn't said anything or done much really, was the one to actually kill me. She was short, she had long black hair. She bent down and did the one thing that none of the others probably even thought about. "You're heart hurts so much?" she asked. "Let me put you out of your misery, poor baby." She mocked me. She leaned over me and ripped my bloody shirt off. She digs her finger in my chest and pulled the flesh back until my rib cage was showing. She breaks my ribs back to get to my heart. She grabs my rapidly beating heart and rips it from my chest. Looking me in the eye, she takes a bite out of it._

**xxXxXxx**

This reoccurring dream is why I don't want to go to sleep. But it's not like I can tell Paul about it, he'll just freak out even more, he'll stress more. It's not like he's not stressed enough though. I mean, he's been so worried about me. He knows I haven't been sleeping, that I've been up every night for the past week downstairs baking and cooking all my dreams away. I've been getting like ten minute naps in class and drinking about seven energy drinks a day. I can't eat anything, unless its sugar. There are deep purple circles under my eyes, I'm jumpy and on edge all the time now. My nose is always in that sketchbook and I never let him see. He knows something is wrong and he's tried so much to talk to me, to get _me _to talk to _him_. He's trying so hard to understand why I push him away, why I'm shutting him out. It's killing him, _I'm_ killing him, and I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. He keeps himself at a distance now. He doesn't hold me anymore, doesn't kiss me, he doesn't really talk to me, hell, he hardly even looks in my direction anymore. It hurts him too much, and I hate myself a little more, every time I do it to him.

He just doesn't know what to do anymore and it tares me apart every time I have to see that hurt and pain in his eyes.

I heard a knock on the door just as I was putting up my colored pencils. This time I decided to give color to the morbid portrait I got out of my head and onto the thin piece of paper. It was of the short girl with black hair. She held my heart as my blood dripped down her mouth and hand.

I opened the door and hugged Jacob and let him to the kitchen so that he could put a dent in all this food. There was just so much here. I didn't have room for any of it anywhere.

I ran upstairs to put away my colored pencils when I heard Jacob yelling my name. "Bella! Get your fucking ass down here. Right now!" Oh god, what's he so worried about now?

I hurried back down the stairs to the kitchen and saw Jacob standing next to the couch shaking but he was getting himself under control. He had my sketchbook in his hand.

Fuck.

He was flipping through the pages flinching at everyone. Shaking a little more with every picture he saw. They were all about my nightmares. I had to get them on paper so that I could get them out of my head.

He looked up angrily at me. "What the fuck is this, Bella? And why didn't you tell any of us?" he started to rant. "Do you realize just how fucking worried we've been about you Bella? I don't think you do! You have no idea what this," he pointed at the mirror behind me so I'd turn around and look at it, "has been doing to Paul! He can't stop thinking about how you're wasting away to nothing, you won't eat. You're down here _all night_ fucking baking every single goddamn night. You don't talk to him; you never smile anymore, let alone _laugh_. You walk around like a zombie Bella. You've been pushing him away while you shut down and you won't let anyone get close enough to help you!" he shouted.

I turned to look into the mirror. I looked hideous. My hair was everywhere, I had dark circles under my eyes, I was sickly thin. I was pale as a ghost. I almost did look like a zombie. This was exactly why I didn't look at mirrors anymore. I was tired of looking into that stupid hunk of reflective glass and seeing a defeated girl with dead eyes, dragging herself through the phases of life. That couldn't be me. It wasn't. Looking back into this stranger's eyes now, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the girl who would stare back determinedly and say, "I'll show them." Where did she go? I missed her here, I think we all did.

"You're like an empty fucking shell. You're closing yourself off, pushing us away. You're jumpy and on edge, always waiting for something to jump out at you." He threw the sketchbook on the floor. "You have no clue what this has been doing to the pack because of what it's doing to Paul! And because of what, _THIS?"_ he yelled picking up the book and flipping to the last page with a drawing on it. "Because of fucking vampires? Are you SERIOUS!" he screamed at me. He was shaking so bad.

'They are all a different part of my nightmare.' I signed to him. Paul and Jacob had taught me a few weeks ago, right after I got out of the hospital.

"What nightmare?" he asked. His tone was still harsh but he had stopped shaking considerably.

'The reoccurring dreams I'm having lately. That is why I can't sleep and can't eat. It's because every time I close my eyes, I have that nightmare.'

He flipped through the sketchbook again. He was almost calm now. He looked up at me. "You've got to be having the most _fucked _up dreams ever." He said thoughtfully.

'I know. But the only way that I stop thinking about it for a while, is if I get it out on paper. If I can do that, I can forget about it.'

The book dropped to the floor with a loud 'thud' when he rushed over to hug me.

"Tell me about you're nightmares. Maybe that'll help you too, to get it off you're chest." I cried a lot when Jacob hugged me.

Paul walked in the door then. "What's going on? Why is she crying?" he asked Jacob.

I ran over to him and hugged him so tight and he stood there for a minute like he was in shock. He stood with his arms down and hands at his sides, letting my tears soak through his shirt, like he didn't know what to do. I lifted my head from his chest and grabbed his hands. I reached behind me with his hands in mine, so that he'd get the idea. "Sorry." He mumbled as he kissed me on the forehead.

He sat us down on the couch, and Jacob urges me to tell them about my nightmares.

With a sigh, I told them about it.

"This is why you've—" I cut him with a kiss. I didn't want him to get upset like Jacob did.

Later that night I had given away all the food I had made this last week and cleaned the house until it was spotless, I took a nice hot shower. When I got out I felt good, this giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I finally felt safe again. I went downstairs and tried to find something to eat. It had been so long since I had an actual meal. It was amazing, to eat something and not have to immediately expel it. I ate and ate and ate, just because I could. Paul sat at the table dumbfounded at what he was seeing. He was speechless. When I was done I knew what I had to do.

I had to show him.

'If I show you something, promise me you won't get upset. And promise me you won't leave.'

He got a worried expression but he consented. I went to living room and got the sketchbook that I hid under the couch. I walked back over to him and I showed him the images that had been haunting my dreams. He was horrified when he flipped through the pages. "This," he flipped to the last page I drew, the only one with color, "Is _the most _fucked upthing I've _ever _seen." I nodded, because he was right, it _was_ fucked up. He held me in his safe warm arms and kissed my hair. "I'll never let this happen," he said, throwing the book across the room and picking me up bridal style to our bedroom to sleep.

I slept a beautiful dreamless sleep and it was divine. I knew that I was safe here, I always would be.

**Beep. Beep. BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEP!**

Oh my god, I wish that stupid thing would just shut the fuck up!

**Beep!**

I lifted myself off of Paul and tried to turn the alarm clock off. It just kept beeping. Finally I just ripped the cord from the wall and threw the stupid thing across the room. It clattered to the floor and I fell back to his chest where I felt safe and warm.

He brushed my hair back and whispered, "That was sexy," as he lifted me up so that I could go get ready for school. I smacked his shoulder and got up.

When we walked into school, everyone looked at me weird. I think it was because I looked a little better than yesterday. My circles weren't so dark; I had color in my face. I was energetic, smiling, I looked happy. There was a bounce in my step and I loved it.

That day, I had turned in all of my make up work from the weeks I was absent and I felt confidant in the work I handed in.

In psychology, we talked about internal fears and how they manifest. I was strangely involved in the topic. I was just glad that Mrs. Byrnes knew sign. I was glad I had started to learn a few weeks ago. Paul was still teaching me but I pretty much had it down. The class didn't really have much part in the discussion. Mrs. Byrnes tried to get them to talk but it was like they were clueless on what to say.

"No one can take a guess on how personal fears might manifest?" she asked in frustration, standing at the front of the class. I raised my hand and she called on me.

I signed to her, 'nightmares'

She got an excited gleam in her eyes as she wrote it on the board. "Yes! Nightmares can be one way. Any thing else?" I shrugged because I honestly couldn't think of anything else. "Well, let's start with that then." She said.

The phone rang and she rushed to answer it.

"Room 208 Mrs. Byrnes speaking, how may I help you?" she nodded her head and wrote a hall pass before hanging up the phone. She walked over to my desk and gave me the pass. "You're needed in the main office."

I was worried. I mean, what would they want with me in the main office, I hadn't done anything wrong.

I walked down the corridor and out of the doors. I trekked across the parking lot to the main office building. When I walked in the door my mother was standing there. She had tears in her eyes but they were like happy tears, she had a huge smile on her face, as she handed a slip to the receptionist at the front desk. She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out to her car. I got in the car and rifled around for a pen and notebook.

_What happened? Why are you here? Where are we going?_

"Baby, we've got to go back home to Phoenix."

_Arizona isn't my home. It's yours. Why are you taking me there?_

"Phil and I are getting married!" she exclaimed, showing me her ring.

_Mom, I want to be here. I don't want to go to Arizona with you._

"What?" she asked, shell-shocked. "Just because you like this boy–"

I got out of the car because right on queue, Paul walked out of building four with Jake and Embry.

"Bella you get back here this instant!" She whisper/yelled.

I froze mid-step. She rarely got mad and when she did… she got _mad._

"Isabella Marie Swan! Get your fucking ass in the _goddamn_ car. This instant!"

I snapped my head over to her, torn. She was so angry and I couldn't defy her, she was still my mother but I didn't want to go to Arizona. I didn't want to have to sacrifice my happiness, which is exactly what I'd be doing if I went with her. But I'd do it anyway. It didn't matter what I wanted or what made me happy, she was my mother and what she wanted, she got. Every time. And once again, she got her way because I had to disconnect myself from everything that was ever important to me because she was my mother and she still had that undeniable power over me that mothers had over their children at least until they were eighteen. I couldn't do anything until I turned eighteen. I was powerless until then.

"Get in the fucking car!" She really was pissed, she never swore. I got in the car and waved goodbye to the shaking boys watching us peel out of the parking lot. "I'll give you a day to pack your shit, then you're coming back with me no matter if you like it or not!"

We pulled up to the house and I got out while she sped away. I ran inside and packed my bag. And once again, I cried myself to sleep. This was starting to become routine. It was like, every time something good happened in my life, _something_ had to come along and _**fuck shit up**_. It was fucking ridiculous.

It was ridiculous and I knew that but I still fucking cried myself to sleep.

And of course, I woke up wrapped in Paul's arms. I loved him and all, but I was getting sick of this shit too. I loved the feeling and loved that he cared enough and I most certainly loved that he wanted and need to be close to me when I was this upset but it was so fucking clichéd. When the fuck was my life going to go back to the way it was? Back when the most dangerous thing I had to worry about from day to day, was Edward Fuck-face Cullen bullying me? Now I have to make sure my fucking heart didn't beat too goddamn loud, vampires would come flocking from miles and miles if they knew blood was pumping through these veins. And why? Because I knew about them and I knew about werewolves.

Well, fuck me.

I hated knowing. I wanted for my life to go back the way it was. My father would still be alive, My family would still be together, Renée would not be off to Arizona marrying a baseball player with three kids, whom I'd probably have to babysit while those two were away, she would be safe at home and happy with Charlie right fucking now. Suddenly I hated the feel of hot arms around me, it just me think negatively. I didn't want them there, they only brought me trouble and heart ache.

I shoved him away and stormed downstairs to make some fucking brownies.

**So? What did you think? Let me know in a review or PM or whatever :) So, yeah I'm sorry for the dream but… I had to. And I'm equally sorry for being a bitch and making Renée come get her. You want to know B's quote of the week? "You're a fucking whore! I don't know why I read this shit! Oh yeah… 'cuz it's ADDICTING! That's why! But you're still a bitch. And I still hate you for making her be mad at Paul. Whore." This was her expression during her rampage, .. Yep. And now I've got a giant bruise on my left arm 'cuz she punched me so hard for a "bitch-tastic" chapter. I must really love you guys for going through all this abuse. **

**Review for the starving kittens in Boston. **

**xx Michelle**


	13. Chapter 13

**Without A Sound Chapter 13**

I hated the brownies.

They were not sweet enough. Not gooey enough. They were too crunchy in the wrong spots and too soft in the wrong spots. It was all wrong. It was all a waste of my time making the stupid things.

That's what I get for making them from the box. Stupid fucking Betty Crocker Brownie Mix! I made a mental note while I was dumping contents of the stupid silver pan in the garbage bag, to make everything from scratch from now on.

I heard Paul rustling around upstairs. I half expected him to come running down here freaking out but he didn't. I figured he probably went back to sleep. He's been on patrol a lot lately. He was probably completely exhausted. I decided I'd make him a nice dinner.

Maybe I'll make pasta. Chicken maybe?

Both, I decided. So I searched the cabinet for spaghetti and sauce. I knew I had chicken thawing in the fridge. I didn't know if I had bread crumbs though. I searched and searched but I didn't find any. I'd have to make due with like crackers and stuff.

I finished making dinner and thought that maybe I could make something else. I wasn't even cooking because I was mad or stressed anymore, but because I wanted him to know I cared, to know I understood. I didn't put him at fault for any of the bad things happening lately. Not that he knew I had put him at fault, but I had at one point, I was being so incredibly stupid. And cooking for him make me feel better about ever thinking it.

I mean, how could I even think that? It wasn't his fault, any of it. It wasn't my fault either, I knew this. It wasn't anyone's fault.

Sometimes, shit happens.

I had lost one important family member but I had gained a whole family in return2. There was still that big gaping hole where my father used to be but it was slowly being filled.

I never I a million years thought that I would be engaged, in love, I never thought any of this would happen. I thought I'd never know what it would be like to be loved by someone; I always thought I was unlovable. I knew now obviously, that I was far from it, and for once in my life, I enjoyed knowing that I was wrong.

Before I knew it, I was pulling garlic bread out of the oven and setting the table.

I didn't invite anyone over tonight, I just needed some alone time with Paul I think. I missed him even though I was pretty much always with him. I felt like we were kinda sorta drifting apart. Or more so that he was staying the same while I drifted away from him, clueless on how to get back. I hated it; I hated that feeling of not being totally in sync with him. With us. I hated it. I ran upstairs and he was still sleeping. I got dressed and went back downstairs just to make sure everything was perfect.

I decided that I would wash the dishes that I had dirtied before I went and woke him up. After washing, drying, and putting away the last few I ran upstairs to get Paul. When I was walking up the stairs he was walking down.

"Hi" He said sleepily, wiping at his eye. I hugged him and led him to the table. His eyes went wide as he took in all the food on the table. "Damn. How long was I asleep?" He said sitting down.

I smiled and sat down across from him.

'A while.'

He loved the food and so did I. But I really loved just spending time with him. We ate in silence but it wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable silence filled with smiles and exchanged glances. It was what I loved about him, we didn't need words, didn't need to talk to accurately communicate. We could just share a touch or a look and say it all.

Dinner wasn't like romantic or intense or anything, it was just dinner. It was nice. We understood each other like that.

When we were done with dinner, Paul went up to take a shower and I cleaned the kitchen. I threw the dishes in the sink to soak and cleaned the table and the counters. I was at the sink putting away the last dish when I felt two hot arms snake around my waist.

I leaned back into him as his kissed my neck. "I love you," he whispered in between kisses. I nodded and he turned me around and sat me on the counter to kiss me on the lips. My fingers laced themselves into his hair before I even knew I wanted them to.

**So? What did you think? I'm gonna start with B's quote because I have more serious shit that I'd like to tell you guys. "Wow! I actually liked this chapter, I have nothing bad to say, other than it's shorter than I would have liked. But yeah, the next chapter better not be as short, or I'll kick your fucking ass..."**

**Serious shit comin up right… about… now.**

**Yeah, I know short chapter, but I'm going to update tomorrow and it will be regular length hopefully. :) I had to end it here because I literally CANNOT continue this in Bella's point of view and I can't even imagine trying to continue from Paul's. It would have taken me a month to finish it. So next chapter will be in Third Person, but there will not be much Third Person chapters in this story. But for the next chapter I have to do it, it's the only way the story can continue. **

**And also, I'm trying to find a Beta and completely and utterly FAILING! So after next chapter it might be a while before the next update, because I'm having trouble finding one. Yes I know, SO SAD FOR MICHELLE! I know you were thinking it… okay maybe it was only me. Okay, it was definitely only me.**

***tears***

**If you know of a good beta, let me know?**

**And also, Bella is not, I repeat, IS NOT pregnant. **


	14. Chapter 14 Gone

**So this is, as I mentioned at the end of last chapter, in Third Person. And I know I said I wouldn't update until tomorrow, but fuck that. This chapter and last are short so I'm updating today. I'm sorry for not updating in a century, my computer had problems and was away from me for like a few months getting fixed. I Love you guys, enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 14.**

Bella and Paul continued to kiss in the kitchen for sometime before they couldn't even handle it anymore. He lifted her from the counter, not breaking the kiss, and carried her up to the bedroom.

When they finally completed the million mile journey up the stairs, they couldn't help but to rip each others clothes off. He kissed her lips. Then her stomach, then a wolf howled. They both sighed heavily, hating that sound. She pulled her clothes back on while he did the same, wishing the moment hadn't been ruined. He looked at her apologetically and headed for the door calling out a quick "Sorry!" She rolled her eyes and plopped herself back on the bed with a heavy sigh.

Minutes later she heard someone knock at the door.

She ran downstairs to answer the door. It was Emily. Bella smiled and led her inside but Emily insisted she come back to her house to wait until the boys came back. Emily knew what that particular call meant.

It meant a vampire was on the rez.

Emily knew that Paul would kill her if Bella got hurt while he was out on patrol. She didn't want Bella to get hurt either and Paul definitely wasn't the only reason she was trying to keep Bella safe right now.

"Come on Bella, I'd like to take you to my house with Collin and the other women." She had the warmest smile and the nicest tone and it made Bella nervous. Bella knew Emily was hiding something but went along with it and went to her house with Collin and the other girls.

When she walked in the door she was surprised to see her mom standing there. Collin was talking to her and she looked absolutely disgusted.

"Bella! Ugh, what kind of _freaks_ to you hang out with?" she jeered.

Bella was shocked to say the least. Her eyes went wide but she quickly composed herself. That was her new family she was talking about. She huffed indignantly at her mother. She didn't know them. Bella didn't know what Renée had been told, but she had no right to say that about her boys. They meant everything to her now and it hurt her to think that her mother didn't approve of them.

Renée stormed over Bella and grabbed her hand. She yanked her out to her car to take her back home, to a 'healthy environment.' Bella protested but it was no use. Renée drove back to the house for Bella to get her things. She ran upstairs and got the bag she packed earlier and wrote a note to Paul and left it on the counter.

_I'm so sorry but I'm leaving. My mom came to Emily and Sam's and she's taking me away from you guys. She thinks you're too dangerous. I'm so sorry._

_Don't miss me too much; I'll be back in three weeks. I promise._

_I love you, please don't be mad at me or my mom._

_I love you so much!_

_-Bella_

There were tears staining the page by the time she was done but she left it on the counter and headed for the door.

She tried to convince her mother to let her stay another week. But it was no use, Renée wouldn't budge. She wasn't going to change her mind anytime soon, and Bella knew it.

As soon as Renée and Bella left, Collin phased and let the others know what happened.

Paul was _furious_. Absolutely furious.

_HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?_ He screamed at the young pup.

Collin whimpered and hurried to catch up to them when Embry phased out.

Collin defended himself. _Paul, I couldn't do anything about it. And what was I supposed to do? Phase in front of them? They were to close, I didn't have a choice._

_You could have fucking done something! Where did they go?_ Paul demanded.

He was letting himself get distracted. He was losing the scent of vampire. But he couldn't bother to care in that moment. Bella was gone and as far as he knew, he'd never see her again. He wanted to die.

_PAUL! STAY FOCUSED!_ Sam yelled.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was to heartbroken. He felt empty and weak, like he couldn't even stand, and eventually he just collapsed onto the wet forest floor.

_Get up, and stay in that trail Paul, what if it's another one after Bella? Would you want to find it then?_

_I'll never see her again…_

_Get of your ass right now! That's an order!_

He had no choice. He couldn't disobey Alpha orders. He really hated when he acted like an asshole and lace everything with that fucking Alpha shit.

_Watch it…_

_Sorry_

He wasn't.

It was a long night after that. Collin was lucky Sam was still there when he phased out. He wanted to kill him. He sure would have tried if Sam wasn't there.

By the time Paul got home, he couldn't even see straight. He couldn't think. Hell, he wasn't even hungry.

He just wanted to die. He wanted to come home to the smell of fresh cookies, like he always did after patrol. He wanted to rush in and scoop Bella up in his arms and kiss her until she blushed. But because he couldn't, he barely got in the door when he collapsed on the floor and cried.

He heard his phone ring.

He couldn't get off the floor and look for it, he didn't have the energy. But it rang and rang and rang. It was starting to get annoying. He dragged himself up off the floor and searched to the wretched thing. He finally found it and was about to throw it out the window when he saw the caller ID.

_Bella_

He scrambled at the buttons trying to answer her call.

"Hello?" he asked breathlessly.

He heard a cough and a sigh but then she heard someone ask who she was talking to. Someone grabbed the phone and asked, "Hello?"

It was Renée. "Hi, Renée."

"Ugh, what do you want?" she demanded.

"To talk to Bella?"

"No. Don't call here again." He couldn't understand why she was so upset. No one even told her what the boys were. Well, none of them did anyway.

"She called me, Renée." He snapped.

"Well, still, don't call." After that, she hung up.

He wanted to punch something, he wanted to cry, he wanted to sleep, he wanted to die, but most importantly, he wanted to see the face of the most beautiful, most important person in his life. He needed Bella. She was the only thing that would make him feel whole again.

**That's it. Sorry its short but I wanted to finish this chapter because I just got my computer back yesterday, I was given it back a while ago but we thought it had a virus but it turns out, there was something wrong with my hard drive so it was gone for like about a few months. :( But I have it back now, so count on more regular updates. Love you guys. **


	15. Chapter 15 Arizona

**I'm a dirty liar! I'm sorry! I know what I said last time and I'm really sorry for not updating. I just… lost my mojo for a while but I have it back now! But anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I'll see you down below!**

**Oh and a lot of this chapter is texting. Sorry**

**Without A Sound Chapter 15 Arizona**

I Hated Arizona. I hated the heat and the humidity. I hated how dry everything was, there was not green in sight.

I hated that there were no werewolves and how I couldn't call my favorite one due to the fact that my mother had confiscated my phone.

Bitch.

If only I could call him.

"_Baby,"_ he'd say. I could almost hear him now. "_I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts. I wish you were here."_

I wish I was there too.

My mother shook me from my reverie. "Bella, I know you're mad at me but you've got to get out of the car," my mother said. I ignored her. I hated that she dragged me out here in this dead place. There was no life anywhere. I mean, she was my mom and I loved her but she should have pursued this new life on her own. She should have left me behind in Forks, where I was _happy._ She told me how much I'd love my "new home" here with Phil and the kids.

Phil has three children, Emily, 14, Max, 19, and Alex, 17. Emily is in 8th grade, she's a drama queen, she's spoiled. Max is a senior and we'll be going to the same school starting next week. Alex is a junior, also going to the same school.

_I'd rather sleep in the car._

"Honey, I'm sorry but I just want you here with me. I know you love being in Forks but I want you here with me."

_What do you have against them?_

"Nothing, I just needed an excuse to get you up here. I love those boys. They've been taking such good care of you."

I rolled my eyes at her. And slammed the door closed. She walked back into the house with that sad defeated look on her face. Then her phone rang. I didn't think much of it until I realized that I could call home.

**(A/N: In the following bit, when the texts come from Renée, Renée isn't texting Paul, Bella is just using Renée's phone.)**

_**Hey Paul, it's Bella. I got my mom's phone and I just wanted to say, I love you.  
**__**-Ren**__**é**__**e**_

_**I love you too. What's in three weeks?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**My birthday. I'll be 18 and she can't keep me here.  
**__**-Ren**__**é**__**e**_

_**I love you  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I know. I love you too.  
**__**-Ren**__**é**__**e**_

_**I miss you.  
**__**-Paul  
**__**  
I miss you too.  
**__**-Ren**__**é**__**e**_

_**The house feels so empty without you.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**The car feels empty without you.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**The car?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yeah, I'm sleeping in the car tonight. I can't stand being in that house.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**No  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yes  
**__**-Renée**_

_**No Bella, it's not safe for you to be out there by yourself.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I don't care.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Baby. Please  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Fine. But not right now.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Why not?  
**__**-Paul.**_

_**Cuz sooner or later she'll come looking for her phone and I want to have as much time as I can talking to you.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**I love you  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I love you too  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Are you tired?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**No. Are you?  
**__**-Renée**_

_**No.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**She's not mad at you guys, you know  
**__**-Renée**_

_**What?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Renée. She's not mad or disgusted or anything. She just wanted me here with her.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Wow  
**__**-Paul**_

_**That's what I said. I don't think she knows about you guys.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Well that's good. I guess  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Is it really Paul? I mean shouldn't she know? Shouldn't she know that he future son-in-law is well… you know  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Future son-in-law. Hmmm. I like the sound of that  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Shut up.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**You know you like it too. The thought of us getting married.  
**__**-Paul.**_

_**Not one bit, jerk  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Love you  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I love you too  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Maybe you should go to sleep cuz it's like 2am'  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Maybe I can't go to sleep w/out you  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Legit?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Lol idk I haven't tried yet.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Maybe you should  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I think it's just that YOU really wanna go to sleep :P but yeah you probably should get to sleep. You'll probably need all the sleep you can get because knowing you, you're always gonna be on patrol now.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Not true  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yes it is  
**__**-Renée**_

_***sigh* I know  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I love you  
**__**-Renée**_

_**I love you too  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Good night  
**_**_-Renée_**

_**Goodnight  
**__**-Paul**_

I settled into the backseat and tried to sleep. I tossed and turned and couldn't get comfortable. It wasn't the right temperature in the car. I didn't have big warm strong arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe and warm. Nothing felt right.

_**I can't sleep  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Me neither  
**__**-Renée**_

_**I love you  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I love you too  
**__**-Renée**_

_**This is gonna be a LONG two weeks.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Three weeks. I know baby but after three weeks we'll have all the time in the world.  
**__**-Renée **_

_**Are you still outside?  
**__**-Paul**_

…  
_**-Renée**_

_**Bella  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Fine! I'll go inside. Jerk…  
**__**-Renée**_

_**If I can't be there to keep you safe, someone has to do it.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I know :)  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Are you inside yet?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yes mother  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Good.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I love you  
**__**-Renée**_

_**I love you too.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I miss you a lot  
**__**-Renée**_

_**I miss you too. So much, it hurts.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I wish you were here  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Ha! No you don't. You wish YOU were HERE  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Yeah  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Well, it's like almost 6 so I should get ready for school and stuff.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Bullshit. Jake is probably prying the phone out of your hands right now.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Goddamn you're good. But I really got to go.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Bye. Love you. Talk to you soon.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Love you too. I'll text you tonight.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Text me on my phone though. Cuz the last thing I need is Renée being even more of a crazy bitch.  
**__**-Renée**_

_**Ok. Miss you, love you, I'll talk to you soon.  
**__**-Paul**_

I deleted all of that night's text messages from Renée's cell phone. No sooner did I delete the last one did she come knocking on the window. I unlocked the door and she asked me how I slept. I shook my head. She walked me inside and to the guest bedroom where I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**XxXxXx**

I woke up the next day. Surprisingly, my cell phone sat on the pillow next to me. I had 30 new text messages. They were from yesterday. Some were from Jake, some from Quil, one was from Embry but the majority of them were from Paul. They were all basically the same things. "_**Where are you**_?" "_**Are you okay?**_""_**WTF**_" and of course, "_**Text me when you get this, I love you**__."_

_**Hey, I got my phone back  
**__**-Bella**_

**God damn, I love you**  
**-Paul**

**I love you too**  
**-Bella**

_**I have patrol so I gotta go but I'll text you when I get back home.  
**__**-Paul**_

_**Ok. I love you.  
**__**-Bella.**_

**xyxyxy**

**Ok. So yeah, I know that it was a lot of texts and mushy mushy bullshit. I'm sorry. But y'all can't say tou didn't see it coming. Uhm but yeah, I'm proud of this chapter even though there are like 238904577 "I love you"s in there. But yeah I'm already working on the next chapter and I want to thank you for all the readers who have been with me since the beginning when it sucked. I love you guys and I appreciate your patience because I know sometimes I can keep y'all waiting. Thanks for sticking by me and helping me through this.**

**Xx Michelle**


	16. Chapter 16 Emily

**Without A Sound Chapter 16 Emily**

**Yeah, you guys hate me. I said I was going to regularly update. I'm a liar blah blah blah. I'm sorry but I lost it again and also school started up again and I've been swamped with school work and homework and family stuff. And I just graduated high school last week so I'll have more time or this now. So yeah, Chapter 16. I'm not going to make promises about updating in the next *insert period of time here* because I keep disappointing myself and you guys too. Sorry y'all. /but thank you so much for sticking by me even though I've been an asshole about being consistent with this.**

"Bella wake up. Dinner is ready." Renée shook me and smiled. "You can finally meet our family!" She was so excited. It made me sick. I didn't know them. I didn't want to know them. I wanted to be back in Forks with my REAL family. Not here with these people I know nothing about. They weren't my family. They weren't even Renée's so I didn't understand why she kept calling them that.

The kitchen smelled really good. Like burgers. I saw who I assumed to be Phil, at the stove flipping them. The kids came down to the table and as soon as I saw them, I knew there was something different. Something wrong about them. I just didn't know what it was yet. Renée and I sat down and Phil came to the table setting places for everyone.

When I saw his eyes, I pieced it all together. Phil and the kids, were all freakishly pale, all had that strained look on their face, restrained posture, dark dark eyes, but Phil's were deep deep red, almost black. They looked brown at first but I knew better. I almost died. Right there at that dinner table. I needed to talk to Paul, we needed to figure out a way to get me and my mother out of here.

That's when I realized. That's why Renée wanted me here. Either they want to turn us or eat us. I wasn't sure which yet, but that was clear. They didn't want us to have connections with the wolves because either way they'd be fucked. If they turned us the pack would go to hell and back to punish them for turning an imprint. And if they ate us, the wrath would be even worse for killing an imprint. The only thing I was iffy about was if Renée knew. If she did know it would explain why she wouldn't want me around the pack, they've probably manipulated her into thinking that they're the protectors and the wolves are the soulless wretched beings. All I had to do was survive this one dinner, then I'd be home in no time. I'd be home safe and sound with my boys.

Phil set down a burger in front of me and I kind of pushed it away "telling" them I was a vegetarian. I wasn't really but I honestly wanted a reason to get away from them. I was excused to go to my room after claiming not to be hungry in the first place. But of course I was, I hadn't eaten in three days. I pulled out my phone to text Paul but Emily walked in. She had a pack of pop-tarts in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

"Here, I brought you some food." I was really afraid because I knew that at any moment this chick could snap and try to kill me. But I shook my head and tried to tell her that I wasn't hungry. She raised one eyebrow at me. "I could hear your stomach growling when you were downstairs. I know you're hungry. If you just don't like us, that's your problem. You don't even know us, honestly that's just you being a bitch. But I also know that just picking up and moving to some new place with these new people and being expected to be ok with it must be hard. If I were in your position, it'd be a lot to take in for me too." She sat down next to me on the bed and placed her ice cold hand on my shoulder. "I know you don't know me all too well, but we _are_ going to be sisters. Look how happy your mom is with us."

Emily got the most serious look on her face and looked directly in my eyes. "She wants to be part of our family. That's why she brought you here. She wanted that for you too." I shook my head. I didn't want to be a part of this. I didn't want to be one of them. "And I know, having your mom make that decision for you sucks but if you gave us a chance, you'd probably really like us." She leaned in to give me a hug and when she pulled away her nose was scrunched up. "Can you take a shower? You reek like dog." When she took in the expression on my face her eyes went wide and she stumbled for her words. "I mean… uhm… uh… I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that uhm I'm very sensitive to smells and uhm…"

"EMILY! COME BACK DOWN TO DINNER!" we heard Phil yell.

"I honestly didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry." She ran downstairs.

**_I have to get out of here  
- Bella_**

What are you talking about?  
- Paul

They're all vampires. They want to turn my mom. That's why she took me away.  
She wants me to be a part of this 'new family' with her here.  
- Bella

WHAT? We're coming to get you. Now.  
-Paul

No! You can't! If you come here like that, it'll end in a fight. And I don't want that.  
- Bella

Well I won't just let you to be fish flakes for those piranhas. I'm coming to get you. Now.  
I don't care if it ends in a fight. Do you know how long it's been since I killed a leach?  
- Paul

No Paul. Let me handle this. If this ends in a fight someone could get hurt or killed.  
- Bella

The only ones who would get hurt or killed are those leaches  
- Paul

I could get hurt. My mother could get hurt. We're only human after all.  
And if Phil or any of his kids get hurt my mom will get hurt. And if my mom gets hurt  
I'll never forgive you. If one of you gets hurt I'll never forgive myself.  
-Bella

Fuck  
-Paul

**_I love you. Don't freak out. I'm a smart girl, I'll figure this out.  
-Bella_**

I love you Bella. So much. And I wish you'd let me protect you.  
- Paul.

I love you too which is why I want you to let me figure this all out. I don't want you to get hurt either.  
- Bella

If you got hurt. Or worse. I'd die.  
-Paul

I'll stay safe. I promise. I gotta go, I'll text you later. Love u xoxo  
- Bella

I ate the pop-tarts and took a shower. I deleted my text messages first in case someone wondered in and decided to look through my phone. When I came out Emily was sitting on her bed looking guilty. I gave her a look. "Ok I have something to tell you and my dad didn't want me to tell you." She paused and started up again a mile a minute. "Ok so I don't know if you know but you probably do since you made the excuse to get away from us and you smell like dog which probably means in Spoons there was a pack so you know we're vampires right?" I nodded my head slowly. "I didn't think you knew until I smelled them on you." I looked for a notebook.

_Does Renée know?_

"Of course. She wants to be one of us, you know."

I rolled my eyes._ I figured._

She got a sketchy look in her eye and whispered, "They're not gonna let you go back to them Bella. I know because Phil did this with my mom too. I had a wolfpack too, back when I was human. But when my mom met him, he like… hypnotized her and she wanted to be one of him. I tried to go back to my love too. Phil turned me and my mom so that I couldn't go back to him. His name was Ashton. Bella, he was beautiful and I was his imprint. The only thing we had in this world was each other. We were engaged. I was seventeen he was eighteen. And before you ask, we just tell people I'm 14 because I'm small enough to look like a fourteen year old. Anyway, my mom met Phil and he lured her away from Yellow Springs, Ohio, and me with her. When she told me what he was, the only thing I wanted to do was run back home and jump in Ashton's arms. Have him hold me and save me, protect me, be with me forever. He didn't let her. He convinced her that if he changed both of us, we'd be a happy family together. He convinced her that the wolves were the bad guys, not him. When he turned us, she didn't survive the transformation."

She stopped to catch her breath, she looked like she was about to cry. "I called him and it was the biggest mistake of my life, Bella. I called Ashton to come get me before I had been turned and when Phil found out they were on their way, he started our transformation. When Ashton and a few members of the pack arrived, they were all so shocked when they saw me, Phil gained the upper hand. I tried to get them to stop but they wouldn't listen. I held back some of the pack hoping they wouldn't turn on me because I was now something they hated. But it all changed when Phil killed him." She looked like she was going to burst if she didn't cry. She sobbed, but no tears. I hugged her until she could speak steadily again. "He killed my Ashton and I turned on him. I wanted him dead. The pack and I all attacked him but he was so strong. He killed them all no matter how hard I tried to stop it. I lost my whole life that day. And if your wolf is anything like mine was, you will too if Phil finds out he knows." I burst into tears at the thought of ever losing the pack like that.

_What do we do?_

"I don't know Bella, but if it's that last thing I ever do, I'll get you back to your wolf. I promise. It's too late for me but there's still hope for you." She hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe. "I'll get you home to him, I promise." She got a glint in her eye and a wide smile on her face. "Tell me about him!"

I started to reach for a notebook but she informed me that she kind of knew sign language. She started learning when she found out Renée had a mute daughter. So we signed. I told her from almost the beginning. I told her about how he had hurt Jake and I wanted to kill him that day and how he looked at me the day I made BBL for him and Jake. I told her about the way I go weak in the knees every time I think about his smile or his eyes or well… him. When I had to relive my panic attack she held me tight until I was ready to tell her about how he saved me and how I fell in love with him. I told her about the night Dragon Lady kicked me out of Jake's house, our first night together, our first kiss. The first 'I love you' being saved after school, the fight between Paul and Edward, that slap, being kidnapped by Victoria. The nightmares, the sketches, the baking. I even told her about how he probably wasn't dealing with this very well right now. She knew exactly where I was coming from.

"What does he look like?" she asked. I searched through one of my bags for the pictures from the party. I showed her who everyone was and then there was a picture of me and Paul standing together by the big tree out back and she gasped. She pointed to a spot in the background and there was Phil, watching us. I felt like I had just been punched in the chest.

'_Why didn't they know about this?'_

_'The vampires that were trying to kill me were still in the area. We thought it was just them casing the place.'_

"If you get away, he'll just follow you." She whispered. "The only way is to kill him. Call your pack." I shook my head no. I wasn't gonna do that to my pack, my family. She signed to me, '_why not?_'

I told her, '_I won't do to my pack what you did to yours. I won't lose Paul._' She nodded in understanding.

"Shit he's coming back. Shhhh. Don't say anything, not even to your mom." In a flash she was gone.

Like I would…

Later that night, Alex came in to talk to me. He was in on Emily's scheme to somehow kill Phil. No one told Max because I guess he'd tell Phil. I wasn't really sure why he wasn't in on it.


	17. Chapter 17 Homecoming

**My lovely readers! Chapter 17 is FINALLY HERE! I worked really hard on this lol so I hope you like it. There's some Paul POV in here and I tried, I really true for a lemon but I'm a huge clockblock so it's like lemonade. But still. Anyway thanks for all your support. So finally here is chapter 17! Oh and for pack mind stuff I've just started putting who says what because in past chapters people were getting confused as to who is talking. I don't really like it this way and I don't know I in going to keep doing it but I figured I'd try it out. **

**Chapter 17**

**Paul POV**

Where is he? I just want to find this son of a bitch and go home.

_Sam: I know Paul. I think we all want to find him so Bella can come home. Although I don't think she'll be happy about this. _

_Paul: I don't give a shit. That filthy bloodsucker is either going to turn or eat the both of them and I'm not going to let that happen. End of story. _

_Sam: listen, I know you hate this, I know it's hurting you, but you can't act so irrationally. That's how mistakes get made and people get hurt. _

_Paul: I'm sorry._

God I needed her. When I got her text I couldn't keep my promise to her. I didn't think, just phased and started running as fast as I could. I needed to get to her. I needed her to be ok. Here with me. In Forks. Safe. In my arms.

**Bella POV**

"How are we going to do it? I've already tried once and... we all know how that ended." Emily spoke morosely as we tried to make a plan.

_**Are you okay?  
**__**-Paul**_

I jumped at my phone to answer it. I knew it was Paul. Before I got to it, Emily snatched it from my reach.

"We need them." she had a stern look on her face.

I shook my head.

_'No. I said no. It's final. End of discussion_.'

She rolled her eyes mumbling something about how its the best attack method. I didn't care. If any one of the pack got hurt or killed, I'd never forgive myself. And I'd never forgive her.

_'Shut up. I'm not risking a member of the pack_.'

"What if we put close ones on the line too? I've got some old vamp friends who could help us. And so does Alex. Them combined with your pack... we'd be nearly unstoppable. Then you and your mom could stay human, I'd be set free of him, and everyone leaves happy."

I got up and went to my room for the night. I had to think about it.

Phil came into my room later that night.

"I know you're not crazy about the idea of a step dad. I know you're less crazy about me being a vampire. But your mom is in love with me and I love her. She's going to be one of us."

I nodded my head.

_'What does that have to do with me? I'm sure you make my mother happy but that doesn't mean I should have been taken away from my friends and family for this. I want to go home to my own fiancé. I don't want to be one of you, I want to stay human, at home, with my pack.'_

"Oh." his eyebrows knitted together.

_What? _

"I guess I didn't think about it like that. You wouldn't be mad if your mom was one of us?"

_'No. I'd come visit once she's under control but I don't want to be one of you.'_

"What about your pack back home? They won't try to attack me? And your mom?"

_'I can guarantee that you won't have any problems with them if you just let me go home. But my werewolf is a little on the impulsive side and if I know him, he's on his way here to take me home and probably looking for a fight as we speak. With the rest of the pack. So you have two options. Let me go home to my family back in la push. Or have la push come to you and have a fight.'_

He got a very frightened look in his eye. He must have seen what my pack is capable of.

"Let me talk to Renee and I'll arrange for your flight back home. Tonight."

I ran to Emily's room

_'Plan's off. Phil is letting me go home!'_

"I'm so very happy for you!" she pulled me into a big hug and helped me pack my bag.

I grabbed my phone and texted Paul.

_**I'm coming home tonight. You see? I told you I could handle this. I love you and I'll see you soon.  
**__**- Bella**_

_**Fuck I love you so much. Do you want me to pick you up at the airport?  
**__**-Paul**_

_**If you can lol I know you're probably on patrol tonight.  
**__**- Bella**_

_**Yeah but I can have someone cover for me until I get back  
**__**- Paul**_

_**Ok I'll let you know when I'm at the airport. I love you and I'll see you soon  
**__**- Bella**_

Emily came into my room. "Be careful. Here's my number if you ever need anything. Please keep in touch. The wedding will be soon and I'd love for you to be there and your mom will too. And if love to get to know you before the wedding."

I nodded and continued to pack my bag. Emily helped me get it to the car and drove me to the airport.

_**At the airport. It's a 4hr flight. So I'll be landing in Port Angeles at about 11pm. Terminal A. Gate 14.  
**__**-Paul **_

_**I'll be there  
**__**-Paul**_

_**I have to turn my phone off now but I'll text you when I land. I love you  
**__**-Bella**_

_**I love you too  
**__**-Paul**_

**Paul POV**

I phased back in to let Sam know.

_Paul: Bella is flying in tonight. I'd really like to pick her up from the airport Sam. But to do that, I'd have to leave for Port Angeles at like 9:30._

_Sam: sure if you can find someone to cover for you._

_Paul: thank you do much Sam_

I phased out at ran to Sam's house. I knew some of the younger boys who have been dying for patrol duty would be there. I spotted Collin right away.

"Collin. Can I talk to you outside real quick?" he looked terrified. Poor kid probably thought I would try and kill him. God knows I would have tried to the other night if Sam wasn't there.

"I need a favor from you, kid."

"What?" Still so scared. Fuck. He isn't going to do this for me.

"I'm on duty till 12 but Bella is flying in tonight at 11 and to be there on time to get her I'd have to leave at 9:30."

"Ok..." he looked less scared I tried to give him a comforting smile.

"Do you think that maybe you could cover for me?"

His face lit up. "Yes yes yes!" Pup was so excited.

"Thanks, kid." I patted him on the back. "I'll come get you at the right time."

"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Paul."

I turned back to the house "No prob pup." I looked at him. "Just don't fuck it up." I phased back in and secured the la push permitter.

**Bella POV**

It was almost time to see him. The flight was almost over. And I was literally twenty minutes away from Paul. I couldn't help the big smile spreading across my face.

The woman next to me asked "Are you flying to see your boyfriend?" I turned to her and nodded my head. "Is he handsome? What is he like? Where are you from? Where is he from?"

I had a pen in my pocket and looked for paper. I used one of the sky mall catalogs to write on.

_Yes, he's very handsome. He's amazing, we recently just got engaged and I had to go to Arizona to see my mother. I've missed him so much. I'm from Forks, Washington. He's from La Push, it's about twenty minutes away from me. _

"Honey, why do you write on papers instead of talking to me?"

_I'm actually mute and I wasn't sure if you knew sign language. _

"Oh. Well, are you excited to see him?"

_Yes I'm very excited. _

"How long were you away?"

_Three days_.

"Ah to be young and in love again. How old are you..."

_Oh my name is Bella. And I'm 17, almost 18. I turn eighteen in two and a half weeks. He's 18_.

"I wish the both of you very many happinesses!"

We then got out of our seats, grabbed our carry ons, and got off the plane.

I couldn't hide the defeat on my face when I stepped out into the airport and didn't see him.

**_Here  
_****_-Bella_**

I looked around frantically. Where the hell was he? I huffed and searched some more. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

_**Turn around  
**__**-Paul**_

I looked and there he was standing there at the other side of the terminal with that million watt smile of his. I froze up, remembering this moment forever. He started to come closer. I ran for him. I had missed him so much.

He scooped me up and spun me around before he kissed me so hard I thought my lips would fall off. "I love you so much. God, I missed you." I nodded and leaned up to kiss him again. He gave me a smile, kissed me one more time, and led me out to his truck.

I got in and couldn't help my self. I threw myself at him. I needed to be close to him. He couldn't help himself either. He grabbed me by my middle and pulled me on top of him. God, I loved kissing him. His soft warm lips would be the end of me.

I don't know how long we were like that but his phone rang so I had to detach from him. He held me there on top of him still. I went for his neck because, in all honesty, I didn't want to stop. Ever. He sucked in a hard breath and answered the phone.

"Hello?" I heard mumbles on the other side. Paul tried, he really tried so hard to keep his breathing even. I bit down a little on his neck and he threw his head back trying not to make a sound and hissed out a big breath. His grip around my hip tightened a little and he pulled me closer.

He spoke in short clipped sentences. He gripped my middle and rocked his hips against mine. His hand slipped to my thigh. He hung up up the phone. He growled and flipped us over so that he was on top. "You can't tease me like that." he growled at me. He went straight for my neck, licking and kissing and sucking. I sucked in a deep breath. He bit down and I rocked my hips against his. He growled. He captured my lips with his again.

He came to a sudden stop. His body tensed up. He stopped responding to me. I looked up at him in wanting. "We have to stop." I shook my head no and tried to kiss him again. He pushed me away and lifted himself off of me. He just hovered there. "No Bella. I'm not gonna let you lose your virginity in my truck. End of discussion."

He slid over to the driver's seat and I rolled my eyes. It didn't really matter where or when as long as it was with him.

It was a 40 minute drive. And it took me everything I had not to just launch myself at him again. He was tense too. His knuckled were clenched so tight around the steering wheel that they were almost white. I turned on the radio to ease the mood in the truck.

By the time we got home, I had fallen asleep. I woke up in bed. Alone. There was I note on the nightstand.

_On patrol. Be home soon. I love you. I'm sorry about tonight. I'll make it up to you. Soon.  
__- Love Paul._

I sighed and fluffed a pillow. He'd better make it up to me...

**So? What did you think? Review please? I love reviews, they let me know what I'm doing right or what I'm doing wrong.**

I wrote this on my iPod, so I think it seemed a lot longer than it actually was when i updated. And I'm sorry for any grammar things. You guys know how it is with autocorrect. It's pretty much hit or miss with that shit. So anyway, I hope y'all like it. Love you guys. I'll try to update soon!

**For the starving kittens in Boston... you know what to do. Love you!**

**Xx Michelle**


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